Reproducibility package for Can Facebook Ads Prevent Malaria? Two Field Experiments in India

We use a cluster randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of a nationwide malaria- prevention advertising campaign delivered through social media in India. We randomly assign ads at the district level and rely on data from two independently recruited samples (N=8,257) and administrative records. Among users residing in solid (concrete) dwellings, where malaria risk is lower, the campaign led to an 11% increase in mosquito net usage and a 13% increase in timely treatment seeking. Self-reported malaria incidence decreased by 44%. Consistently, recorded health facility data indicate a reduction in urban monthly incidence of 6.2 cases per million people, corresponding to 30% of the overall malaria monthly incidence rate. Conversely, we find no impact on households living in non-solid dwellings, which face higher malaria risk, nor among rural settlements where such dwellings are more prevalent. To disentangle if this lack of impact stems from ineffective content or insufficient reach, we conduct an individual-level trial (N=1,542) ensuring campaign exposure for both household types. Our findings indicate an increase in bed net usage and timely treatment seeking for both groups, underscoring the need for improved targeting in social media campaigns to fulfill public health goals.