Fred M. Ssewamala|Julia Shu?Huah Wang|Torsten B. Neilands|Laura Gauer Bermudez|Irwin Garfinkel|Jane Waldfogel|Jeanne Brooks?Gunn|Gwyneth Kirkbride
Cost-Effectiveness of a Savings-Led Economic Empowerment Intervention for AIDS-Affected Adolescents in Uganda: Implications for Scale-up in Low-Resource Communities
Washington University in St. Louis|University of Hong Kong|University of California, San Francisco|Columbia University|Columbia University|Columbia University|Columbia University|Columbia University
purpose nearly 12 million children adolescents subsaharan africa lost one parents aids within subsaharan africa uganda greatly impacted estimated 12 million orphaned children nearly half experienced parental loss due epidemic costeffective scalable interventions needed improve developmental outcomes children growing poverty article examines direct impacts costeffectiveness savingsled family economic empowerment intervention bridges future employed varying matched savings incentives encourage investment ugandan children orphaned aids methods using data 48 primary schools southwestern uganda calculate perperson costs two treatment armsbridges 11 match savings versus bridges plus 12 match savings estimate program effectiveness across outcomes interest provide ratios perperson costs corresponding effectiveness results 24month postintervention initiation children two treatment arms showed better results health mental health education compared usual care condition however statistically significant differences found treatment arms exception school attendance rates higher bridges plus owing minimal cost difference bridges bridges plus arms find substantial costeffectiveness differences across two treatment arms conclusion 24 months economic intervention incorporated matched savings yielded positive results critical development outcomes adolescents orphaned aids uganda 11 12 match rates demonstrate variable levels costeffectiveness 24month followup suggesting governments intending incorporate savingsled interventions within social protection frameworks may need select higher match rate see positive developmental outcomes short term research required understand intervention impacts costeffectiveness longer followup period