title: Household-based cash transfer targeting strategies in Zimbabwe: are we reaching the most vulnerable children?
abstract: Census data, collected in July 2009, from 27,672 children were used to compare the effectiveness, coverage and efficacy of three household-based methods for targeting cash transfers to vulnerable children in eastern Zimbabwe: targeting the poorest households using a wealth index; targeting HIV-affected households using socio-demographic information (households caring for orphans, chronically-ill or disabled members; child-headed households); and targeting labour-constrained households using dependency ratios. All three methods failed to identify large numbers of children with poor social and educational outcomes. The wealth index approach was the most efficient at reaching children with poor outcomes whilst socio-demographic targeting reached more vulnerable children but was less efficient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, St Mary's Campus, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, UK. l.robertson06@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: Phyllis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mushati
authors.forename: Jeffrey W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Eaton
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sherr
authors.forename: Jeremiah C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Makoni
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skovdal
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Crea
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mavise
authors.forename: Lovemore
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dumba
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: Shungu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Munyati
authors.forename: Constance
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nyamukapa
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gregson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D019352:Censuses; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D015658:HIV Infections; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015233:Models, Statistical; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012946:Social Welfare; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D015030:Zimbabwe