Abstract

Following the severe morbidity burden in Malawi as evidenced by the World Health Organization in their yearly World Health Statistics, the study was aimed at assessing the cost of illness on agriculture production as the most reliable livelihood source for households in rural Zomba. The study used primary data and employed the Individual Household Method (IHM) in both data collection and analysis. Purposive sampling was used in order to select Teuka village because it was a project selected area. A census approach where each household in the village is interviewed was used in conducting the interviews. Disposable incomes per adult equivalents were used as a measure of welfare and the impact of illness on welfare of households was analyzed. The results from the IHM indicate that illness imposed costs on agriculture production of rural households. The study specifically found that illness led to a decline in labor supply and productivity. Illness therefore motivated households with enough resources to hire-in labor in order to mitigate the impact of illness in agriculture production. However, illness led to land under-utilization and lost production for resource constrained households. Illness costs were found to be regressive on poor households. Overall illness affected the welfare of households by reducing a household’s disposable income.

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School	: School of Law, Economics and Government
Issued Date	: 2010

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