Learning Groups > Social and Economic Policies
Evaluating Policy to Improve Outcomes
Families and communities continue to bear the overwhelming burden of care and cost associated with HIV—a burden which can seriously impact the life chances of children and youth. Yet, external efforts to address young people's needs are often hindered by uncertainty about what policies and interventions work best for children, as well as poor coordination among institutions and groups working on their behalf.
Research Objectives of the Social and Economic Policies Learning Group
The Social and Economic Policies Learning Group documented the policy changes and new resources that governments and international institutions will need to effectively protect children affected by HIV/AIDS. This Learning Group also investigated HIV prevention among adolescents and older children, with a focus on gender issues, sexuality and the predictors of HIV exposure.
Some of the key research questions of this Learning Group included:
- What political factors influence the adoption of good policies for children?
- What are the resource implications of achieving social protection policies and programs for children, and how can those policies be designed to maximize the opportunity for success?
- What role do gender and sexuality play in developing effective HIV prevention programs and policies for young people?
Learning Group Leadership
The Social and Economic Policies Learning Group was led by two Co-Chairs:
- Masuma Mamdani, based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is a senior researcher at Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA), a non-profit-making research organization in Tanzania. Mamdani is also a member of the Tanzania Public Health Association and the HIV and AIDS Working Group of the Non-Governmental Policy Forum.
- Alex de Waal, based in Boston, United States, is a program director at the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), a fellow of the Global Equity Initiative at Harvard, and a director of Justice Africa, London.
Research Findings
The Learning Group commissioned papers examining the social and economic policy response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Alex de Waal
Alex de Waal is a writer and activist on African issues. He is a programme director at the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), engaged in projects on HIV/AIDS and Social Transformation and on Emergences and Humanitarian Action. In addition, de Waal is a senior fellow at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and a director of Justice Africa, London. In his twenty-year career, Alex de Waal has been at the forefront of mobilizing African and international responses to the social, political, and health dimensions of famine, war, genocide, and the HIV/ AIDS epidemic, especially in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region. His books include: Famine that Kills: Darfur, Sudan, 1984-5 (Oxford University Press, 1989); Islamism and Its Enemies in the Horn of Africa (Indiana University Press, 2004); Darfur: A Short History of a Long War (with Julie Flint; Zed Books 2005); and AIDS and Power: Why There is no Political Crisis—Yet (Zed Books, 2006). In 2008, he was awarded an Order of the British Empire for services to development
Masuma Mamdani
Masuma Mamdani specializes in social policy research in reproductive and sexual health. She also has extensive experience in issues of healthcare provisioning, focusing on access, equity, quality, and financing, with particular attention to practical policy analysis and processes in support of change. She is currently a research specialist in social policy with UNICEF Tanzania and was formerly a senior researcher at the Tanzanian nonprofit Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA). Ms. Mamdani participated in the preparation of Tanzania's Second Poverty Reduction Strategy (2005-2010) and represented REPOA in the National Public Expenditure Review Working Groups on HIV/AIDS and on Social Well-Being. She is also a member of the Tanzania Public Health Association. Previous postings include ten years as a research fellow at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Her works include: "Social Protection of Vulnerable Children in Tanzania: Evidence, Limits and Challenges," "Poor People's Experiences of Health Services in Tanzania," "Community- Based Programmes Addressing Women's Reproductive Health Needs in India," and many others.
