Social fund and infant mortality: Evidence from an anti‐poverty policy in Northeast Brazil
评估巴西东北部一项针对贫困人口的社会基金（FECEP）对婴儿死亡率的影响，发现该基金通过减贫显著降低了婴儿死亡率，为针对性公共投资改善脆弱地区生活条件提供了证据。
This paper evaluates the effects of a social fund that meets the needs of the poor in Northeast Brazil, the Fundos Estaduais de Combate e Erradicação da Pobreza (FECEP). The program could have improved infant health by reducing poverty and improving access to health care, sanitation, food, and housing. Using a difference-in-differences approach robust to heterogeneous treatment effects, we confirm that the program has effectively reduced poverty in treated areas. Furthermore, we document that this poverty reduction is associated with a significant decline in infant mortality. These findings provide consistent evidence that targeted public investments can improve living conditions in vulnerable regions.