IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/femeco/v14y2008i4p87-115.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Bias, Not Error: Assessments of the Economic Impact of HIV/AIDS Using Evidence from Micro Studies in Sub-Saharan Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Deborah Johnston

Abstract

Economists struggle to understand the macroeconomic impact of HIV/AIDS. To this end, they have constructed macro models that utilize simplified pictures of the working of the economy and then factor in channels by which HIV/AIDS will have an effect. These models have considerable influence on HIV/AIDS policy; however, they do have their critics. Criticisms in the literature have focused on the simplifications in the construction of the economy that seem most misleading. Using micro studies of sub-Saharan Africa as examples, this contribution argues that there are other important simplifications used by models that need to be reconsidered. Rather than a series of unconnected errors in the modeling process, the approaches show pervasive gender bias, which means that many of the impacts of greater female mortality and morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa are ignored. Gender-aware modeling is crucial to improving assessment of the aggregate impact of the pandemic both in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere.

Suggested Citation

  • Deborah Johnston, 2008. "Bias, Not Error: Assessments of the Economic Impact of HIV/AIDS Using Evidence from Micro Studies in Sub-Saharan Africa," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(4), pages 87-115.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:femeco:v:14:y:2008:i:4:p:87-115
    DOI: 10.1080/13545700802262915
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13545700802262915
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/13545700802262915?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. John Sender & Christopher Cramer & Carlos Oya, 2005. "Unequal Prospects: Disparities In The Quantity And Quality Of Labour Supply In Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers 145, Department of Economics, SOAS University of London, UK.
    2. Yamano, Takashi & Jayne, Thomas S., 2002. "Measuring the Impacts of Prime-age Adult Death on Rural Households in Kenya," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 55152, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    3. Yamano, Takashi & Jayne, Thomas S., 2002. "Measuring the Impacts of Prime-age Adult Death on Rural Households in Kenya," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 55152, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    4. World Bank, 2001. "Swaziland : Selected Development Impact of HIV/AIDS," World Bank Publications - Reports 15699, The World Bank Group.
    5. Mr. Markus Haacker, 2002. "Modeling the Macroeconomic Impact of HIV/AIDS," IMF Working Papers 2002/195, International Monetary Fund.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kevin Deane & Sara Stevano & Deborah Johnston, 2019. "Employers’ responses to the HIV epidemic in sub‐Saharan Africa: Revisiting the evidence," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 37(2), pages 245-259, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ndirangu, Lydia K. & Kimalu, Paul, 2004. "The Effects of HIV/Aids on Agricultural Production and Poverty in Kenya," 2004 Inaugural Symposium, December 6-8, 2004, Nairobi, Kenya 9538, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    2. Christopher B. Barrett, 2005. "Rural poverty dynamics: development policy implications," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 32(s1), pages 45-60, January.
    3. Gebreselassie, Kidist & Wesseler, Justus & van Ierland, Ekko C., 2007. "The Effect of HIV/AIDS Driven Labor Organization on Agrobiodiversity: an Empirical Study in Ethiopia," 106th Seminar, October 25-27, 2007, Montpellier, France 7929, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Joseph F Feulefack & Martin K Luckert & Sandeep Mohapatra & Sean B Cash & Arif Alibhai & Walter Kipp, 2013. "Impact of Community-Based HIV/AIDS Treatment on Household Incomes in Uganda," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(6), pages 1-7, June.
    5. Eicher, Carl K., 2004. "Rebuilding Africa'S Scientific Capacity In Food And Agriculture," Staff Paper Series 11543, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    6. Donovan, Cynthia & Bailey, Linda & Mpyisi, Edson & Weber, Michael T., 2003. "Prime-Age Adult Morbidity and Mortality in Rural Rwanda: Effects on Household Income, Agricultural Production, and Food Security Strategies," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 55387, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    7. Sean Kiely & Dorothee Buehler & Ute Rink & Kristin Kiesel, 2023. "The effects of disability on households' economic livelihoods and poverty in Vietnam," TVSEP Working Papers wp-035, Leibniz Universitaet Hannover, Institute for Environmental Economics and World Trade, Project TVSEP.
    8. Kristjanson, Patricia & Krishna, Anirudh & Radeny, Maren & Nindo, W., 2004. "Pathways out of Poverty in Western Kenya and the Role of Livestock," PPLPI Working Papers 23779, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Pro-Poor Livestock Policy Initiative.
    9. Arndt, Channing, 2006. "HIV/AIDS, human capital, and economic growth prospects for Mozambique," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 477-489, July.
    10. F. Le R. Booysen, 2004. "Income And Poverty Dynamics In Hiv/Aids‐Affected Households In The Free State Province Of South Africa," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 72(3), pages 522-545, September.
    11. Beegle, Kathleen, 2005. "Labor Effects of Adult Mortality in Tanzanian Households," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 53(3), pages 655-683, April.
    12. Gebreselassie, Kidist & Price, Lisa & Wesseler, Justus & van Ierland, Ekko, 2008. "Impacts of HIV/AIDS on labour allocation and agrobiodiversity depend on the stage of the epidemic: case studies in Ethiopia," MPRA Paper 25608, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Martine Visser & Frikkie Booysen, 2004. "Determinants of the choice of health care facility utilised by individuals in HIV/AIDS-affected households in the Free State province of South Africa," SALDRU/CSSR Working Papers 087, Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town.
    14. Sulkhan Tabaghua, 2022. "Fiscal Rules and Post-Pandemic (Covid19) Economic Recovery," Proceedings of Economics and Finance Conferences 13215677, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.
    15. Nicolas Couderc & Nicolas Drouhin & Bruno Ventelou, 2006. "SIDA et croissance économique : le risque d'une « trappe épidémiologique »," Revue d'économie politique, Dalloz, vol. 116(5), pages 697-715.
    16. Yamano, Takashi & Jayne, T S, 2005. "Working-Age Adult Mortality and Primary School Attendance in Rural Kenya," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 53(3), pages 619-653, April.
    17. Mr. Brou E Aka & Mr. Bernardin Akitoby & Mr. Amor Tahari & Mr. Dhaneshwar Ghura, 2004. "Sources of Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa," IMF Working Papers 2004/176, International Monetary Fund.
    18. Mabugu, Ramos E. & Maisonnave, Helene & Henseler, Martin & Chitiga-Mabugu, Margaret & Makochekanwa, Albert, 2023. "Implications of COVID-19 and mitigation measures on gender and the Zimbabwean economy," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    19. Mohamed, Issam A.W., 2011. "Surveying HIV/AIDS Incidence in Sudan," MPRA Paper 31781, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Nicolas Couderc & Bruno Ventelou, 2005. "AIDS, Economic Growth and the Epidemic Trap in Africa," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(3-4), pages 417-426.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gender economics; growth; HIV/AIDS; macroeconomics; reproduction; JEL Codes: E27; I10; O47;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E27 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:femeco:v:14:y:2008:i:4:p:87-115. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/RFEC20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.