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Where the money flows? Colonial health investment and hospital outcomes in the D.R.Congo
This paper explores the role of colonial medical missions in causing contemporaneous disparities in hospital outcomes in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Using GIS data and archival records from colonial Belgian Congo, we track the establishment of colonial health settlements and match them with modern hospitals. We document a strong, positive, and persistent effect on infrastructure capacity as well as on resources allocated by the central government for salaries, even after controlling for differences in health workers.