TAG | “Cash for safe sex” program hopes to stop AIDS in Tanzania |
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| by William Atkins | |
| Friday, 16 May 2008 | |
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Page 1 of 2 The World Bank is testing an idea (a possibly controversial one) to see if it works: Can an organization pay people to avoid unsafe sex, and have it succeed? The aim of the World Bank is to stop the spread of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) in Africa. The experiment will begin later this year at a cost of approximately US$1.8 million. It will involve approximately 3,000 men and women in the age range of 15 to 30 years in the southern rural areas of Tanzania, which is located in east-central Africa. The experiment will last three years and involve regular laboratory testing of the participants to verify whether or not they have contracted STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). Representatives for the World Bank project have offered a payment of US$45 to each participant who successfully completes the program. Although not a large amount in industrialized countries, the amount is approximately equal to one-fourth the annual salary of most of the participants. In addition, the World Bank project is using a control group that is not being paid during this three-year program. They are only being asked to abstain from unsafe sex without any monetary incentives. Besides the World Bank, the program is also funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Population Reference Bureau, and the Spanish Trust Fund for Impact Evaluation. According to FT.com (Financial Times), “In spite of billions of dollars spent annually on treatment and prevention worldwide, there were about 2.5m [2.5 million] new HIV [human immunodeficiency virus] infections in 2007, predominantly in Africa.” [FT.com: World Bank backs anti-Aids experiment”] In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one million new cases of sexually-transmitted bacterial infections (STIs) occur each day around the world. And, a large majority of these new, but curable, cases occur in poor, rural populations, such as areas within the sub-Saharan Africa. Studies have shown that STIs transmit HIV infection. [WHO (pdf file): “Sexually Transmitted Diseases ”] Reverse prostitution is the technique used by organizations to pay money to stop humans from engaging in socially unacceptable behaviors. See how this plays into the World Bank program. |
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