Template-type: ReDif-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Tirivayi J.N. 
Author-Name: Groot W.N.J. 
Author-workplace-name: UNU-MERIT
Title: The impact of food transfers for people living with HIV/AIDS: Evidence from Zambia
Abstract: We estimate the impact of food transfers on diet and consumption  expenditures in food insecure households with HIV positive members on  antiretroviral therapy. We use primary data collected from 199  beneficiary and 179 non-beneficiary households in Lusaka, Zambia.  Propensity score matching estimates show that the food transfers  significantly increase dietary diversity and food consumption  expenditures. Our results also show that the food transfers increased  the proportion of households with optimal dietary diversity and  consuming at least five food groups. The results are robust to variation  in the propensity score model and matching technique. Sensitivity  analysis demonstrates that our results are largely robust to substantial  amounts of unobserved selection bias. We discuss the implications of our  findings in the context of the growing number of HIV/AIDS treatment,  care and support programmes providing food assistance in resource poor  settings.
Keywords: Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles; Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis; General Welfare; Welfare and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs; 
Classification-JEL: D01; D12; I31; I38; .
Series:  Working Papers
Creation-Date: 2014
Number: 065
File-URL: http://pub.maastrichtuniversity.nl/6021267e-6eec-4ef0-a9c7-6c274b690821
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 462456
Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2014065