Zachary Wagner
@zwagner.bsky.social
Economist at USC studying global health and health behaviors, mostly in Africa and South Asia. Formerly RAND/Stanford/Berkeley
https://sites.google.com/view/zacharywagner/home
https://sites.google.com/view/zacharywagner/home
It was great chatting with @talknormal.co.uk for the
VoxDevTalks podcast about our recent RCT testing an intervention to reduce bias in family planning care @voxdev.bsky.social
VoxDevTalks podcast about our recent RCT testing an intervention to reduce bias in family planning care @voxdev.bsky.social
🆕 Contraception without prejudice: Reducing bias in family planning 📢
Today on VoxDevTalks, @zwagner.bsky.social (@usc.edu) & Manisha Shah (@ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social) discuss methods of reducing bias among healthcare providers in developing countries: voxdev.org/topic/health...
Today on VoxDevTalks, @zwagner.bsky.social (@usc.edu) & Manisha Shah (@ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social) discuss methods of reducing bias among healthcare providers in developing countries: voxdev.org/topic/health...
August 13, 2025 at 4:21 PM
It was great chatting with @talknormal.co.uk for the
VoxDevTalks podcast about our recent RCT testing an intervention to reduce bias in family planning care @voxdev.bsky.social
VoxDevTalks podcast about our recent RCT testing an intervention to reduce bias in family planning care @voxdev.bsky.social
🚨New Paper Alert🚨 In this multi-country RCT just out in
the Economic Journal we show that bias towards youth in family planning care reduces with a multifaceted intervention, and that this improves quality of fp care.
Started this one when Obama was president!
academic.oup.com/ej/advance-a...
the Economic Journal we show that bias towards youth in family planning care reduces with a multifaceted intervention, and that this improves quality of fp care.
Started this one when Obama was president!
academic.oup.com/ej/advance-a...
Reducing Bias Among Health Care Providers: Experimental Evidence from Tanzania, Burkina Faso and Pakistan
Abstract. Bias among health care providers can lead to poor-quality care and poor health outcomes, and it can exacerbate disparities. We use a randomised c
academic.oup.com
June 3, 2025 at 5:44 PM
🚨New Paper Alert🚨 In this multi-country RCT just out in
the Economic Journal we show that bias towards youth in family planning care reduces with a multifaceted intervention, and that this improves quality of fp care.
Started this one when Obama was president!
academic.oup.com/ej/advance-a...
the Economic Journal we show that bias towards youth in family planning care reduces with a multifaceted intervention, and that this improves quality of fp care.
Started this one when Obama was president!
academic.oup.com/ej/advance-a...
Reposted by Zachary Wagner
🚨New Article: The impact of tropical cyclone exposure on infant mortality in low- and middle-income countries🚨
Exposure to cyclones during pregnancy or the first year of life increases infant mortality by 11% (!!!) on average in low-and middle-income countries.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Exposure to cyclones during pregnancy or the first year of life increases infant mortality by 11% (!!!) on average in low-and middle-income countries.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The impact of tropical cyclone exposure on infant mortality in low- and middle-income countries
Tropical cyclones increase infant mortality across seven low- and middle-income countries with uneven country-specific effects.
www.science.org
May 21, 2025 at 8:59 PM
🚨New Article: The impact of tropical cyclone exposure on infant mortality in low- and middle-income countries🚨
Exposure to cyclones during pregnancy or the first year of life increases infant mortality by 11% (!!!) on average in low-and middle-income countries.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Exposure to cyclones during pregnancy or the first year of life increases infant mortality by 11% (!!!) on average in low-and middle-income countries.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Zachary Wagner
#AGW
#ExtremeEvents
#climatejustice
Same authors:
"On average, exposure to tropical cyclones in utero or in the first year of life led to 4.4 additional infant deaths per 1000 live births. [...] This effect was mainly driven by excess mortality in Bangladesh, Dominican Republic, and Haiti".
#ExtremeEvents
#climatejustice
Same authors:
"On average, exposure to tropical cyclones in utero or in the first year of life led to 4.4 additional infant deaths per 1000 live births. [...] This effect was mainly driven by excess mortality in Bangladesh, Dominican Republic, and Haiti".
May 22, 2025 at 11:23 AM
#AGW
#ExtremeEvents
#climatejustice
Same authors:
"On average, exposure to tropical cyclones in utero or in the first year of life led to 4.4 additional infant deaths per 1000 live births. [...] This effect was mainly driven by excess mortality in Bangladesh, Dominican Republic, and Haiti".
#ExtremeEvents
#climatejustice
Same authors:
"On average, exposure to tropical cyclones in utero or in the first year of life led to 4.4 additional infant deaths per 1000 live births. [...] This effect was mainly driven by excess mortality in Bangladesh, Dominican Republic, and Haiti".
Our new @pnas.org paper finds exposure to a tropical cyclone around the time of primary school enrollment reduces the likelihood of ever attending school. Led by excellent Stanford postdoc Renzhi Jing. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Decreased likelihood of schooling as a consequence of tropical cyclones: Evidence from 13 low- and middle-income countries | PNAS
Increasing educational attainment is one of the most important and effective strategies
for health and economic improvements. The extent to which e...
www.pnas.org
May 6, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Our new @pnas.org paper finds exposure to a tropical cyclone around the time of primary school enrollment reduces the likelihood of ever attending school. Led by excellent Stanford postdoc Renzhi Jing. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Zachary Wagner
🚨Development Economists!🚨Do you use Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS Program) data, which had been supported by USAID? IPUMS ( @ipums.bsky.social ) and the UN Statistics Division have a survey for you. I just filled it out. You can too. #econsky
Users of the Demographic and Health Surveys, please take the United Nations Statistics Division DHS impact survey (form.jotform.com/250913880478...) regarding recent cuts. Replies inform future planning and advocacy. All responses are confidential and presented only in aggregate.
Questionnaire on the use of the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data
Please click the link to complete this form.
form.jotform.com
April 21, 2025 at 8:24 PM
🚨Development Economists!🚨Do you use Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS Program) data, which had been supported by USAID? IPUMS ( @ipums.bsky.social ) and the UN Statistics Division have a survey for you. I just filled it out. You can too. #econsky
Reposted by Zachary Wagner
"We are Jewish faculty, scholars, and students at U.S. universities — representative of the community that this administration purports to be protecting from antisemitism on
campuses. Let us be clear: These actions do not protect us."
forms.gle/prnRbq69a6YN...
campuses. Let us be clear: These actions do not protect us."
forms.gle/prnRbq69a6YN...
Open letter in response to federal funding cuts at Columbia
On March 7th, the Trump administration announced the immediate cancellation of approximately $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University. This includes funding from the Departm...
forms.gle
March 11, 2025 at 7:08 PM
"We are Jewish faculty, scholars, and students at U.S. universities — representative of the community that this administration purports to be protecting from antisemitism on
campuses. Let us be clear: These actions do not protect us."
forms.gle/prnRbq69a6YN...
campuses. Let us be clear: These actions do not protect us."
forms.gle/prnRbq69a6YN...
Reposted by Zachary Wagner
The ABA rejects efforts to undermine the courts and the legal profession. Read full message: www.americanbar.org/news/abanews...
March 3, 2025 at 7:50 PM
The ABA rejects efforts to undermine the courts and the legal profession. Read full message: www.americanbar.org/news/abanews...
Reposted by Zachary Wagner
For 40 years the Demographic and Health Surveys have been essential for tracking population health in dozens of countries with limited resources and weak health information systems.
The torrent of thoughtless, harmful decision making is dizzying.
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/h...
The torrent of thoughtless, harmful decision making is dizzying.
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/h...
Trump Administration Ends Global Health Research Program
The Demographic and Health Surveys were the only sources of reliable information in many countries on metrics such as mortality, nutrition and education.
www.nytimes.com
February 27, 2025 at 2:21 PM
For 40 years the Demographic and Health Surveys have been essential for tracking population health in dozens of countries with limited resources and weak health information systems.
The torrent of thoughtless, harmful decision making is dizzying.
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/h...
The torrent of thoughtless, harmful decision making is dizzying.
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/h...
Reposted by Zachary Wagner
So - I've actually led Ebola outbreak response at USAID.
This is bunk from Elon. They have laid off most of the experts, they're bankrupting most of the partner orgs, have withdrawn from WHO, and muzzled CDC.
What's left is a fig-leaf effort to cover their asses politically.
This is bunk from Elon. They have laid off most of the experts, they're bankrupting most of the partner orgs, have withdrawn from WHO, and muzzled CDC.
What's left is a fig-leaf effort to cover their asses politically.
Elon Musk: "We will make mistakes. We won't be perfect ... so for example, with USAID, one of the things we accidentally canceled very briefly was ebola prevention."
February 26, 2025 at 10:41 PM
So - I've actually led Ebola outbreak response at USAID.
This is bunk from Elon. They have laid off most of the experts, they're bankrupting most of the partner orgs, have withdrawn from WHO, and muzzled CDC.
What's left is a fig-leaf effort to cover their asses politically.
This is bunk from Elon. They have laid off most of the experts, they're bankrupting most of the partner orgs, have withdrawn from WHO, and muzzled CDC.
What's left is a fig-leaf effort to cover their asses politically.
Reposted by Zachary Wagner
From independent @USAID sources, >800 contracts and awards are being terminated en masse – with the procurement team subject to hourly checks on speed of executing terminations. The pace has exceeded the ability to confirm whether lifesaving assistance or any Congressional mandate is affected.
February 10, 2025 at 2:23 PM
From independent @USAID sources, >800 contracts and awards are being terminated en masse – with the procurement team subject to hourly checks on speed of executing terminations. The pace has exceeded the ability to confirm whether lifesaving assistance or any Congressional mandate is affected.
Reposted by Zachary Wagner
1. Today the NIH director issued a new directive slashing overhead rates to 15%.
I want to provide some context on what that means and why it matters.
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
I want to provide some context on what that means and why it matters.
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
NOT-OD-25-068: Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates NOT-OD-25-068. OD
grants.nih.gov
February 8, 2025 at 12:18 AM
1. Today the NIH director issued a new directive slashing overhead rates to 15%.
I want to provide some context on what that means and why it matters.
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
I want to provide some context on what that means and why it matters.
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
Reposted by Zachary Wagner
The NIH move to cut funding for “indirects” landed a few hours ago and my phone hasn’t stopped buzzing with messages from researchers, scientific leaders and others warning of dire consequences for academia and the biomedical enterprise.
Here’s a txt from someone who personally funds some research:
Here’s a txt from someone who personally funds some research:
February 8, 2025 at 4:25 AM
The NIH move to cut funding for “indirects” landed a few hours ago and my phone hasn’t stopped buzzing with messages from researchers, scientific leaders and others warning of dire consequences for academia and the biomedical enterprise.
Here’s a txt from someone who personally funds some research:
Here’s a txt from someone who personally funds some research:
Reposted by Zachary Wagner
US taxpayers supported that work for generations. They have a right to at least access information about it.
There is no policy stance, no party preference, that could justify this numb act of extreme institutional vandalism.
Give the American people our damn information back. It is ours.
There is no policy stance, no party preference, that could justify this numb act of extreme institutional vandalism.
Give the American people our damn information back. It is ours.
February 7, 2025 at 7:13 PM
US taxpayers supported that work for generations. They have a right to at least access information about it.
There is no policy stance, no party preference, that could justify this numb act of extreme institutional vandalism.
Give the American people our damn information back. It is ours.
There is no policy stance, no party preference, that could justify this numb act of extreme institutional vandalism.
Give the American people our damn information back. It is ours.
Reposted by Zachary Wagner
What can you do about the assault on USAID?
Share this far and wide. Do your part! Please do retweet 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Share this far and wide. Do your part! Please do retweet 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
February 7, 2025 at 1:20 PM
What can you do about the assault on USAID?
Share this far and wide. Do your part! Please do retweet 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Share this far and wide. Do your part! Please do retweet 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Reposted by Zachary Wagner
Curious how many mothers and children worldwide will die from slashing USAID programs?
We'll never know, because we're gonna stop counting.
We'll never know, because we're gonna stop counting.
If it's true that future collection of Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data "will cease," this would be a staggering loss to the global community. 1/6
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
February 6, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Curious how many mothers and children worldwide will die from slashing USAID programs?
We'll never know, because we're gonna stop counting.
We'll never know, because we're gonna stop counting.
The DHS has been the cornerstone for my research on global child mortality for over a decade. Its value is immeasurable. Stopping it would seriously limit our understanding of health around the world.
If it's true that future collection of Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data "will cease," this would be a staggering loss to the global community. 1/6
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
February 6, 2025 at 4:21 PM
The DHS has been the cornerstone for my research on global child mortality for over a decade. Its value is immeasurable. Stopping it would seriously limit our understanding of health around the world.
Reposted by Zachary Wagner
Here is the White House’s own justification for its sudden evisceration of the entire foreign aid agency worldwide, in secret on a Saturday night.
It’s a quickie list of a few ragebait links to sites like Breitbart. They concern minuscule sums of money that could be addressed with trivial reforms.
It’s a quickie list of a few ragebait links to sites like Breitbart. They concern minuscule sums of money that could be addressed with trivial reforms.
At USAID, Waste and Abuse Runs Deep
For decades, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been unaccountable to taxpayers as it funnels massive sums of money to the
www.whitehouse.gov
February 6, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Here is the White House’s own justification for its sudden evisceration of the entire foreign aid agency worldwide, in secret on a Saturday night.
It’s a quickie list of a few ragebait links to sites like Breitbart. They concern minuscule sums of money that could be addressed with trivial reforms.
It’s a quickie list of a few ragebait links to sites like Breitbart. They concern minuscule sums of money that could be addressed with trivial reforms.
Reposted by Zachary Wagner
If it's true that future collection of Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data "will cease," this would be a staggering loss to the global community. 1/6
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
February 6, 2025 at 4:53 AM
If it's true that future collection of Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data "will cease," this would be a staggering loss to the global community. 1/6
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Zachary Wagner
@belindaarch.bsky.social and I have written a letter from economists regarding PEPFAR. Please sign and share with your network. Only economist signatures right now (for more focused impact). Once signed, we will share with the administration, congress, + the media. #econsky
forms.gle/C5roVX5sFF14...
forms.gle/C5roVX5sFF14...
January 28, 2025 at 2:33 PM
@belindaarch.bsky.social and I have written a letter from economists regarding PEPFAR. Please sign and share with your network. Only economist signatures right now (for more focused impact). Once signed, we will share with the administration, congress, + the media. #econsky
forms.gle/C5roVX5sFF14...
forms.gle/C5roVX5sFF14...