University of California, San Francisco’s Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health: The impact of financial incentives on preventing HIV in newborns
“…New research explores the impact of providing financial incentives for pregnant women in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, to complete steps to prevent transmitting HIV to their children. … This is one of only two studies so far to look specifically at cash incentives for preventing transmission of HIV from mothers to children. It contributes to the growing evidence on the effectiveness of conditional cash transfers to encourage healthy behaviors. [While] the study suggests that these incentives can increase retention in this part of Nigeria, a large number of women still did not opt to deliver at a facility or have their child tested for HIV. Financial incentives may be a promising strategy for reducing HIV infections in newborns, but it is not a panacea and additional strategies are needed to improve adherence to care” (1/18).