Mobile Phones and HIV Testing: Multicountry Instrumental Variable Analysis From Sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Sub-Saharan Africa has been a technological hothouse when it comes to mobile phone technology adoption. However, evidence on the role played by mobile technology on infectious disease prevention has been mostly limited to experimental studies.

Objective: This observational study investigates the role of mobile phone connectivity on HIV testing in sub-Saharan Africa.

Risk factors of adolescent exposure to violence in Burkina Faso.

Background: Globally violence against children and adolescents is a significant public health problem. Since children rely on family for early learning and socialization, evidence of the factors associated with exposure to violence within households may inform the development of policies and measures to prevent violence and aid the victims of violence. This study examines the risk and protective factors associated with adolescents' exposure to violence at home and how these differ by gender and age in four regions of Burkina Faso.

Impact of mobile phones on HIV public stigma: a cross-sectional and pseudo-panel analysis from Ghana.

Objective: HIV-related stigma still remains a major barrier to testing and a significant burden for people living with HIV (PLWH) in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper investigates how mobile phone ownership can influence HIV-related stigma.

Design: This is an observational study using both cross-sectional and pseudo-panel data.

The effect of siblings' sex ratio on physical capital, human capital, and gendered time use among adolescents in Ethiopia.

We examine the role of siblings' sex ratio on adolescents' physical and human capital development, as well as gendered time allocation using data from the Young Lives project in Ethiopia. We use BMI-for-age and Weight-for-age to measure physical capital and grade attainment and scores in Mathematics and English tests as human capital indicators. Gendered time use is proxied by the hours per day the adolescent spends doing traditionally female-specific chores.

Which communication technology is effective for promoting reproductive health? Television, radio, and mobile phones in sub-Saharan Africa.

The use of radio and television as means to spread reproductive health awareness in Sub-Saharan Africa has been extensive, and its impacts significant. More recently, other means of communication, such as mobile phones, have received the attention of researchers and policy makers as health communication tools. However, evidence on which of the two types of communication (i.

Does integrating AIDS treatment with food assistance affect labor supply? Evidence from Zambia.

In low income settings, food assistance is increasingly becoming part of AIDS treatment and care programs with the aim of improving adherence to AIDS treatment, enhancing household food security and strengthening economic wellbeing. Yet, evidence of its economic impact is sparse. This paper uses primary data to examine the short term impact of a food assistance program on labor supply as measured by the hours worked, labor market participation rates and transitions to employment within HIV/AIDS affected households in Zambia.

The economic benefits of high CD4 counts among people living with HIV/AIDS in Zambia.

Background: The economic effects of poor immunologic recovery among HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa are not well understood. We examined the relationship between the CD4 counts of patients on long-term ART and employment outcomes in HIV-affected households in Lusaka, Zambia.

Methods: Administrative data and a household survey captured information on the clinical records, demographics and employment outcomes of the ART-treated adults and their adult family members ( = 311).

The Impact of Food Assistance on Dietary Diversity and Food Consumption among People Living with HIV/AIDS.

Little is known about the outcomes of food assistance targeted to food insecure people living with HIV/AIDS. Using primary data from Zambia, we estimated the impact of food assistance on the dietary diversity and consumption expenditures of households with HIV infected members receiving antiretroviral therapy. Propensity score matching estimates show that food assistance increased dietary diversity by 9.

Widowhood and Access to Health Care: A Population Based Study in Uganda.

Background: Little is known about the health care that widows receive in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined whether widows were at greater risk of facing challenges in accessing health care compared with other women in Uganda.

Methods: The study analyzed Demographic and Health Survey data from 8,674 women in Uganda collected in 2011.

Clinic-Based Food Assistance is Associated with Increased Medication Adherence among HIV-Infected Adults on Long-Term Antiretroviral Therapy in Zambia.

BACKGROUND: There has been limited research to date on the effects of food assistance provided to HIV-infected adults in resource-constrained settings with a high prevalence of malnutrition and chronic food insecurity. We compare antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, weight gain, and CD4+ lymphocyte count change among HIV-infected adults enrolled in a clinic-based food assistance program in Lusaka, Zambia versus a control group of non-recipients. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study incorporating interviewer-administered surveys and retrospective clinical data to compare ART patients receiving food assistance with a control group of non-recipients.

Health and welfare effects of integrating AIDS treatment with food assistance in resource constrained settings: a systematic review of theory and evidence.

The article systematically reviews theory and existing empirical evidence on the health and welfare effects of integrating AIDS treatment with food assistance. While theoretical predictions point to possible improvements in health, consumption and ambiguous effects on labor supply, there are few empirical studies that used robust designs. Five empirical studies are reviewed and in two of them, food assistance improves nutritional status, especially when provided in the form of ready to use therapeutic feeding.