Cash Transfer Programs and HIV Prevention in sub-Saharan Africa

Featuring
Sudhanshu Handa
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Carolyn Heinrich
University of Texas at Austin

Hosted by
Amanda Glassman
Director of Global Health Policy and Senior Fellow
Center for Global Development

Poverty and vulnerability are thought to be important risk factors for HIV infection among young people in sub-Saharan Africa. Should country governments and donors use cash transfer programs targeted to the poor as a method to reduce HIV transmission? At this CGD brownbag seminar, Sudhanshu Handa will present evaluation research on whether the Government of Kenya's Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children reduces the risk of HIV among young people by postponing sexual debut and Carolyn Heinrich will present an evaluation of South Africa's Child Support Grant (CSG) on sexual risk behavior outcomes among adolescents. These represent the first effort to assess whether a national, large-scale, cash transfer program can affect HIV prevention results.