Aids and Economics

IAEN ~ International AIDS-Economics Network State of the Art: AIDS AND ECONOMICS July 2002 This document features papers written by: Peter Badcock-Walters Tony Barnett Stefano Bertozzi Lori Bollinger Lisa DeMaria Lia Fernald Steven Forsythe P. Hale S.M. Hammer Ishrat Husain Robert Greener Juan-Pablo Gutierrez M.D. Kazatchkine Lilani Kumaranayake Bill McGreevey Jean-Paul Moatti Ken Morrison I. N’Doye Shanti Noreiga Majorie Opuni John Stover Beena Varghese Alan Whiteside Editor: Steven Forsythe Director of Planning and Finance, HIV/AIDS Sponsored by: POLICY Project, and Merck & Co., Inc. POLICY Project State of the Art: AIDS AND ECONOMICS July 2002 Editor: Steven Forsythe Director of Planning and Finance, HIV/AIDS The POLICY Project Executive Summary i Acknowledgements The POLICY Project wishes to thank the many authors who wrote the chapters in this document. We also wish to thank Merck & Co. Inc, which has made a contribution specifically towards the repro- duction of this document. In addition to this hard copy, Merck’s contribution also made it possible for this document to be reproduced electronically on a CD and on the International AIDS and Economics Network (IAEN) website, www.iaen.org. All of the authors voluntarily contributed their time, effort, and creative ideas in or- der to make this document possible. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of any of the contributing agencies. The POLICY Project is implemented by The Futures Group International in col- laboration with Research Triangle Insti- tute and the Centre for Development and Population Activities, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development. Up-to-date copies of POLICY publications are available on our website: www.policyproject.com. ii State of the Art: AIDS ANDECONOMICS Table of Contents Executive Summary v Section One: TheVarious Roles of Economics in Addressing the HIV/AIDS Pandemic 1 Chapter 1: Current and Future Resources for HIV/AIDS 2 Chapter 2: HIV/AIDS and Globalization—What is the Epidemic Telling Us About Economics, Morality and Pragmatism? 9 Chapter 3: The Economics of Social and Structural Interventions for HIV Prevention in Developing Countries 16 Section Two: Understanding the Impact of HIV/AIDS 23 Chapter 4: HIV/AIDS, Health and Education 24 Chapter 5: How Does HIV/AIDS Affect African Businesses? 30 Chapter 6: HIV/AIDS and Its Impact on Trade and Commerce 38 Chapter 7: AIDS and Macroeconomic Impact 49 Section Three: Using Economics to Respond to the Pandemic 57 Chapter 8: Resource Allocation Within HIV/AIDS Programs 58 Chapter 9: Cost-effectiveness and Economic Evaluation of HIV/AIDS-Related Interventions: The State of the Art 64 Chapter 10: Randomized Trials of HIV Prevention Interventions in Developing Countries 75 Chapter 11: Economics of HIV/AIDS Impact Mitigation: Responding to Problems of Systemic Dysfunction and Sectoral Capacity 84 Chapter 12: Antiretroviral Treatment for HIV-Infected Adults and Children in Developing Countries: Some Evidence In Favor of Expanded Diffusion 96 Conclusion 119 Executive Summary iii iv State of the Art: AIDS ANDECONOMICS Executive Summary The following document was written by a team of leading economists and social scientists in response to the question, “What is the state of the art in the field of AIDS and economics”. This question was intentionally designed to provide authors with the ability to focus on the issues that they felt were most critical. As a result, each chapter represents a unique perspective on the question at hand. This document begins with a chapter that describes the data on the current and needed resources for HIV/AIDS programs. As Dr. McGreevey and his co-authors note, there is very little information currently available in developing countries that describes how resources are being spent on HIV/AIDS activities. How- ever, the data that do exist suggest that the disparity between HIV/AIDS spending in Africa, Latin America and the Carribean (LAC), and the United States is even greater than one would have ex- pected. The authors note that spending per person living with HIV/AIDS in the US exceeds $30,000, but is only about $1,250 in the LAC countries and only $8 to $25 in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. McGreevey’s analysis of the data col- lected by SIDALAC from the LAC region is fascinating, particularly in regards to how available resources are being spent. The analysis reveals that only 7 percent of spending is focused on men who have sex with men (MSM) and intravenous drug users (IDUs), even though the epidemic in the LAC region remains concen- trated in these populations. Executive Summary v “Policymakers need a reasonably complete picture of could be evaluated. This step is critical, as it’s resource flows from sources to uses that finance HIV/ likely that sufficient resources for interventions AIDS prevention, care, support and treatment. such a gender equity and stigma reduction will Without that picture, they risk misallocation, waste only be made available if they are demonstrated and faulty strategic planning. For now, in most parts to produce good “value for money”. of the developing world, the picture remains largely unpainted. Filling in the details on financing is among the key challenges to HIV/AIDS policymakers today.” “Well-designed cost-effectiveness studies that compare the costs and benefits of structural interventions to individual behavior change In his chapter on globalization, Professor Barnett interventions for HIV prevention would be educative.” presents an excellent discussion of some of the critical issues relating how economists perceive Section two addresses the ways in which the and define health in the age of globalization. As impact of HIV/AIDS is being measured. In his Professor Barnett emphasizes, current thinking chapter, Professor Whiteside in particular ad- in health economies may be focused too much dressed the issue of impact on the health and on defining “health” rather than “well-being”. education sectors. He emphasizes that health As argued in this chapter, health is far too often and education are particularly important be- defined on an individual basis and does not take cause these sectors are where the greatest num- into consideration the very significant social ber of government workers are employed and interactions between individuals. This argu- because these sectors are most essential for the ment is particularly relevant when evaluating development of human capital, which in turn is economic tools such as cost-effectiveness, which essential for development. The chapter con- generally do not take into consideration soci- cludes by emphasizing that future work in the etal preferences and interrelationships. One area of economic impact needs to be more ori- could argue, for example, that while the public ented toward encouraging specific actions, provision of antiretroviral therapy in develop- rather than simply raising awareness. ing countries may not be cost-effective, the value to society of offering such therapy may be quite “The way ahead is simple—policy-oriented research significant. Professor Barnett argues that the that is published and marketed. Somehow we have moral imperative of offering care may be sig- to make people aware of what is going to happen nificantly undervalued through the use of “in- and that they can and must respond.” dividual-focused” forms of health economics, and that we need to focus more on society and Chapter 5, which is written by Dr. Forsythe, dis- culture in evaluating the “best” ways to address cusses the various ways in which the private the HIV/AIDS epidemic. sector in Africa is being affected by the HIV/ AIDS epidemic. This chapter discusses three “It is clear that there is a premium on pragmatism as types of private sector impact: (1) impact on opposed to compassion. Pragmatism tends to the labor supply, (2) impact on profitability, and capture resources. Social scientists may wish to (3) other impacts. While describing the impacts explore further the links between pragmatism, self- that have already incurred and are likely to be interest, morality and public health.” incurred in the near future, Dr. Forsythe emphasizes that there are still opportunities to make The third chapter, by Dr. Beena Varghese at the HIV/AIDS prevention succeed in the work- Centers for Disease Control (CDC), discusses the place. important issue of structural and social interventions for HIV prevention in developing “It is imperative to recognize that in most African countries. Dr. Varghese begins with a discus- countries, more than 90 percent of workers are not sion of some of the interventions and the ways infected with HIV. In other words, despite the in which they might be able to affect the course potentially dire consequences of HIV/AIDS, in most of the epidemic. This paper is unique, however, countries there is still time to prevent and mitigate in discussing ways in which such interventions the impact of the epidemic. Also, we now know what vi State of the Art: AIDS ANDECONOMICS works in terms of HIV/AIDS prevention. In countries The next section addresses ways in which eco- such as Uganda and Senegal, prevention programs nomics can be used as a tool for addressing the have succeeded in significantly reducing or limiting lack of resources for HIV/AIDS prevention, the spread of HIV infection.” care, and mitigation. In Chapter 8, for example, John Stover and Lori Bollinger discuss the issue Chapter 6 addresses the issue of impact from of resource allocation. By discussing how HIV/ the perspective of trade and commerce. Dr. AIDS resource allocation decisions are currently Bollinger discusses the ways in which current made, the authors are able to recommend an property rights and trade practices may influ- improved decisionmaking process. By using ence a country’s ability to respond to the HIV/ tools such as the Goals Model with a AIDS epidemic.

Load more