Abstract
We assess the impact of recent large-scale anti-malaria efforts on child development in Zambia. While the control efforts led to reductions in disease exposure initially, parasite prevalence resurged soon after program initiation in highly endemic areas. Comparing cohorts born before and after the campaign launch, we find that children with initially low but resurgent malaria exposure perform more poorly on cognitive tests, and no better on anthropometric and executive functioning. Our results suggest that temporary reductions in infectious disease exposure may harm rather than benefit children by undermining critical immune system adaptations in early childhood.
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