Health Inequality and the 1918 Influenza in South Africa with Jonathan Jayes
The 1918 influenza killed an estimated 6% of South Africans. The impact varied substantially across the country. Mortality rates were pronounced in districts with a high share of black residents. We transcribe more than 50 000 death certificates to understand these unequal health outcomes. Using a novel indicators – whether a doctor’s name appears on the death certificate – we propose that the unequal health outcomes are a consequence of inequalities in access to healthcare services. Although these inequalities existed before October 1918, our results show that the pandemic exacerbated these differences. We explore the reasons that explain this widening gap in healthcare access.
Date: 27 October 2020, 17:00 (Tuesday, 3rd week, Michaelmas 2020)
Venue: Held on Zoom
Speaker: Johan Fourie (Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University, South Africa)
Organising department: Department of Economics
Part of: Economic and Social History Seminar
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Members of the University only
Editor: Melis Clark