Long-term effects of Agent Orange on health capital in Vietnam

This paper examines the long-term health effects of Agent Orange the military herbicide containing the hazardous chemical compound dioxin which was widely disseminated in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War (1959 1975). Based on data from the US military archives on the herbicide operations, we estimate the prevalence of disabilities among Vietnamese people using the 2009 Population Census. The results demonstrate that the legacy of Agent Orange continues, with ongoing adverse (although small) effects on health even over 30 years since the end of the war. Critically, the health burden of severe mobility disability has been mostly born by women of ethnic minorities in the affected areas.