The Effects of Early-Life Exposure to Pollution on Children's Human Capital Formation: the Case of Indonesia

Wednesday, January 6, 2016
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
(Pacific)
Philippines Conference Room
Encina Hall, Third Floor, Central, C330
616 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA 94305
Speaker: 
  • Margaret Triyana
Co-sponsored by the Asia Health Policy Program & the Southeast Asia Program
 
This paper analyzes the effects of an early-life shock in Indonesia on children’s human capital formation and parental responses to these shocks. We exploit the geographical variation of Indonesia’s forest fires during the El Nino phenomenon in 1997, as well as cohort variation in exposure. Children affected by these shocks in utero and in early years have worse health outcomes relative to children not exposed to these shocks. We find that the health effects persist, but other factors mitigate the initial effect on cognitive skills.
 
My main research interest lies at the intersection of development and health economics. I am particularly interested in how social policies affect health outcomes for the poor, early health investments, and health-seeking behavior in limited resource settings, focusing on the evaluation of different strategies that seek to promote health investments and the effects of these interventions. Specifically, I have analyzed the effects of Indonesia’s household conditional cash transfer program on health outcomes, local health care price, and quality of care. I have also analyzed the long-term effects of a large-scale midwifery program in Indonesia. Current projects study the effects of early life shocks on children’s human capital outcomes in Indonesia and the Philippines.
 
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Margaret Triyana is currently Assistant Professor of Economics at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Triyana graduated from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. She was previously the Asia Health Policy Postdoctoral Fellow at the Shorenstein Asia Pacific Research Center in 2013-14.