Joint Learning Initiative On Children and HIV/AIDSJoint Learning Initiative On Children and HIV/AIDS

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 documents 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 investigates HIV prevention among adolescents and older children, with a focus on gender issues, sexuality and the predictors of HIV exposure. Finally, this Group will identify costs for the policy and programming recommendations of the other Learning Groups.

Some of the key research questions of this Learning Group include:

  • 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 is 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 has commissioned 17 papers examining the social and economic policy response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. These papers will inform policy recommendations that will be released in late 2008.

Read this Learning Group's debate: "Can a developing country support the welfare needs of children affected by AIDS?"

Find out more about JLICA's other Learning Groups.

View Co-Chairs