Study: “Socioeconomic Impact of Reducing Premature Adult Mortality: The Case of Antiretroviral Treatment for HIV/AIDS Patients”
PI(s): de Walque, Damien
Affiliation(s): World Bank
Institutional Partner(s): World Bank
Project Dates:
Start: January 2007
End: June 2011
Data Source(s): Panel Data Collection
Methods: Difference-in-Difference, Fixed Effects, OLS Regression
Geographic Location(s): Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mozambique, South Africa

Description:
The first-order benefit of antiretroviral treatment (ART) is saving lives but the distribution of ARTs is expected to produce a socioeconomic benefit for the entire household: Both the patient and the family members who have been providing care should be able to return to either school or the labor market and the welfare of the family should increase. The objective of this study was to measure the socioeconomic impact of reducing premature adult mortality due to HIV/AIDS at the household level by examining the socioeconomic benefits of ART. The study analyzed impact across genders and measured these effects using a set of longitudinal household and health facility surveys from several countries. This evaluation also determined the conditions that maximize these socioeconomic effects by comparing different delivery modes and assessing which ones are more likely to promote adherence, postpone the development of resistance, and maximize the socioeconomic benefits of ART. The findings suggest that scaling up access to antiretroviral therapy without prevention programs is not optimal if the objective is to contain the disease, because people would adjust their sexual behavior in response to the perceived changes in risk. Therefore, prevention programs need to include educational messages about ART, and address changing beliefs about HIV in an era of the increasing availability of treatment.

Research Outputs:
Kazianga, H., Kouanda, S., Nikema, L., Rothenbuhler, E., Over, Mead & de Walque, Damien. (2010). HIV services delivery and overall quality of care and satisfaction in Burkina Faso: are there privileged patients?

De Walque, Damien, Kazianga, Harounan, Over, Mead & Vaillant, Julia. (2011). Food Crisis, Household Welfare, and HIV/Aids Treatment: Evidence from Mozambique (Center for Global Development Working Paper No. 238). DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-5522

De Walque, Damien, Kazianga, Harounan, & Over, Mead. (2011). Antiretroviral therapy awareness and risky sexual behaviors: evidence from Mozambique (Center for Global Development Working Paper No. 239). DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-5486