A global comprehensive review of economic interventions to prevent intimate partner violence and HIV risk behaviours

Andrew Gibbs; Jessica Jacobson; Alice Kerr Wilson

doi:10.1080/16549716.2017.1290427

A global comprehensive review of economic interventions to prevent intimate partner violence and HIV risk behaviours

Glob Health Action. 2017 Jan-Dec;10(sup2):1290427. doi: 10.1080/16549716.2017.1290427.

Authors

Andrew Gibbs^{1

2}, Jessica Jacobson³, Alice Kerr Wilson³

Affiliations

¹ a Gender and Health Research Unit , South African Medical Research Council , Pretoria , South Africa.
² b Health Economics and HIV/AIDS Research Division (HEARD) , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa.
³ c Social Development Direct , London , UK.

Abstract

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV are co-occurring global epidemics, with similar root causes of gender and economic inequalities. Economic interventions have become a central approach to preventing IPV and HIV.

Objective/methods: We undertook a comprehensive scoping review of published evaluations of economic interventions that sought to prevent IPV and/or HIV risk behaviours.

Results: Forty-five separate analyses of interventions met our criteria. Broadly, unconditional cash transfer interventions showed either flat or positive outcomes; economic strengthening interventions had mixed outcomes, with some negative, flat and positive results reported; interventions combining economic strengthening and gender transformative interventions tended to have positive outcomes.

Conclusions: The review highlighted a number of gaps. Specifically, there were limited studies evaluating the impact of economic interventions on female sex workers, young women, and men. In addition, there were missed opportunities, with many evaluations only reporting either IPV- or HIV-related outcomes, rather than both, despite overlaps.

Keywords: Globalisation; health determinants; health information; health intervention; population health.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Female
HIV Infections / prevention & control*
Humans
Intimate Partner Violence / prevention & control*
Male
Risk-Taking
Sex Factors
Sex Workers / statistics & numerical data

Grants and funding

This document is an output from What Works to Prevent Violence? A Global Programme, which is funded by UK Aid from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) for the benefit of developing countries. A version of this paper was presented at the Greentree II Consultation (May 2015), a high-level meeting in New York, USA on GBV and HIV, with support by UK Aid from the DfID, through the STRIVE research consortium. However, the views expressed and information contained in it are not necessarily those of or endorsed by DFID, which can accept no responsibility for such views or information or for any reliance placed on them.