FES International Research Seminar Series with Assistant Professor Sara Lowes, Bocconi University, Italy

Our next speaker in the FES International Research Seminar Series is Sara Lowes, who is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Bocconi, Italy

Speaker: Sara Lowes, University of Bocconi

Title:  The Legacy of Colonial Medicine in Central Africa 

The abstract: Between 1921 and 1956, French colonial governments organized medical campaigns to treat and prevent sleeping sickness. Villagers were forcibly examined and injected with medications with severe, sometimes fatal, side effects. We digitized thirty years of archival records to document the locations of campaign visits at a granular geographic level for five central African countries. We find that greater historical exposure to the campaigns reduces trust in medicine – measured by willingness to consent to a free, non-invasive blood test. The resulting mistrust is specific to the medical sector. We examine relevance for present day health initiatives; we find that World Bank projects in the health sector are less successful in areas with greater exposure to the campaigns.

 Time: 12:10-13:40

 Venue: Shabolovka campus, room 3211

 FES Seminars webpage: https://economics.hse.ru/en/seminars/ 

For external participants: to order the pass, please contact Disa Malbakhova dmalbakhova@hse.ru