Chinese Aid for Transportation Infrastructure and Child Health in Africa

This study investigates the impact of transportation infrastructure financed by Chinese aid on child health in 11 sub-Saharan African countries using Demographic and Health Survey data matched with the precise geospatial features of transportation infrastructure. We find that an additional year of exposure to transportation infrastructure significantly increases children's height-for-age z-scores by 0.041 standard deviations and reduces the likelihood of stunting by 1.6 percentage points among urban households without migration experience, relative to children in the control group. Our analysis, which employs mother fixed-effects specifications, yields consistent results. Notably, we find that the positive effects of transportation infrastructure are primarily attributable to exposure during the construction phase of aid projects. The increased likelihood of mothers securing paid employment during this period may serve as a critical mechanism driving the observed effects of exposure to transportation infrastructure.