Week 7 Short-Answer Question

1. Few Guatemalans appear to be acutely malnourished; in fact, they mostly appear healthy. In reality, however, they are not. Why is this?

2. What is the “health trap”?

3. When a village in India agrees to work with Gram Vikas on improving its sanitation, what is the typical result?

4. The authors explain that when poor households in Udaipur are confronted with a serious health problem they “cut spending, sell assets, on borrow…..often at very high rates.” What does this tell us about how people in Udaipur value health care?

5. Why do areas in developing world such as Pena Blanca lack access to clean water?

6. For residents of Pena Blanca, why is getting sick such a big deal?

7. In the author’s view, why do poor people sometimes refuse to let go of beliefs that appear to be “indefensible”?

8. Imagine you are a high-ranking official in a country’s health department. You are given the task of designing a “nudge” that will encourage more people to get flu shots. How would you nudge them t do so ?

9. In your opinion, are effective measures (such as giving parents beans in exchange for vaccinating their chilren) worth taking if they are paternalistic? Explain.

10. What do you think the overall message is of Roslig’s presentation? Explain your reasoning.