an Eldis Resource
The long-run impacts of adult deaths on older household members in Tanzania
How adult death is associated with increased working hours
Authors:
A.R. Adhvaryu; K. Beegle
Publisher:
Policy Research Working Papers, World Bank, 2009
Increases in prime-age mortality rates in high-prevalence African countries due to HIV/AIDS have resulted in "missing" working-age adults, which has implications on the well-being of surviving family members. This study about Tanzanian case focuses on one specific category, older adults, who may be especially vulnerable. The study premises that the burden of deaths of household members and children may force older adults to work longer hours and suffer declines in well-being.
The study finds that adult death is associated with increased farm hours. Nevertheless, this impact varies by the gender of the older adult and the existence of a co-residency. In this context, the study points that older women who suffer the loss of a co-resident member among their baseline household are working five hours more each week. Thus, older women may be more vulnerable to death shocks even in regions with sharp declines in HIV prevalence. However, the study suggests that older individuals in households with adult death may actually be better off in the short term due to a decreased burden of care for the deceased individual before time of death. On the other hand, the study suspects that older adults with no prime-age adult in the household may be the group for whom the death of an adult child does impact on working hours and health.
The paper recommends adopting policies that help ensure complete markets for livestock and other forms of assets. In fact, such policies provide asset accumulation, and preserve women's rights to property, which may help mitigate the long-run negative impact of prime-age deaths.
