A livelihood intervention to improve economic and psychosocial well-being in rural Uganda: Longitudinal pilot study.
HIV and poverty are inextricably intertwined in sub-Saharan Africa. Economic and livelihood intervention strategies have been suggested to help mitigate the adverse economic effects of HIV, but few intervention studies have focused specifically on HIV-positive persons. We conducted three pilot studies to assess a livelihood intervention consisting of an initial orientation and loan package of chickens and associated implements to create poultry microenterprises. We enrolled 15 HIV-positive and 22 HIV-negative participants and followed them for up to 18 months. Over the course of follow-up, participants achieved high chicken survival and loan repayment rates. Median monthly income increased, and severe food insecurity declined, although these changes were not statistically significant (P-values ranged from 0.11 to 0.68). In-depth interviews with a purposive sample of three HIV-positive participants identified a constellation of economic and psychosocial benefits, including improved social integration and reduced stigma.
a MBA, is Senior Lecturer and Director of the Institute of Management Sciences, Mbarara University of Science and Technology , Mbarara , Uganda.
Bernard
B
Kakuhikire
b MIB, is a resident tutor at Quincy House, Harvard College , Cambridge , MA , USA.
Diego
D
Suquillo
c MSc, is a study coordinator at the Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration , Kampala , Uganda.
Elly
E
Atuhumuza
d AB, is a student at Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA.
Rumbidzai
R
Mushavi
e PhD, MPH, is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Chester M. Pierce, MD Division of Global Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston , Boston , MA , USA.
Jessica M
JM
Perkins
f MD, PhD is Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA.
Atheendar S
AS
Venkataramani
g MD, MPH, is Associate Professor of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco , CA , USA.
Sheri D
SD
Weiser
h MD, MPH, is Founding Dean, Oregon Health Sciences University-Portland State University School of Public Health , Portland , OR , USA.
David R
DR
Bangsberg
i MD, is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA.
Alexander C
AC
Tsai
D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture / Q000191:economics*; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D004531:Eggs / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012424:Rural Population; D058992:Social Participation; D057545:Social Stigma; D014454:Uganda; D014937:Work / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology
HIV; Ouganda; Uganda; VIH; la pauvreté; poverty; social stigma; stigmatisation sociale