Andreea Mitrut

This study uses quasi-experimental variation from a public health program implemented in Romania that targeted Roma, Europe's largest and most disadvantaged ethnic minority. The program employed health mediators to increase the provision of information about already existing, free of charge health services available for children and pregnant women. We find that, in rural areas, the program led to large increases in prenatal care take-up rates but no improvements in children's health at birth. However, we find significant reductions in infant mortality caused by perinatal complications.

In many developing and transitional countries, inter-household transfers in general and gifts in particular are sizable and very important. We use unique Romanian data that enables us, contrary to most previous studies, to isolate pure gifts from other kinds of private transfers and to study them in detail. We find that social norms are important for explaining the occurrence of gifts and that the rich and the poor receive to the same extent. However, we find different motives for gifts to the rich and the poor. Middle- and high-income households are part of reciprocal networks and receive more the higher their incomes and the more they give to others. Although the poor may be excluded from reciprocal networks, they still receive, since there is a social duty norm to give.