Akiba Study
Title:
A savings intervention to reduce men’s engagement in HIV risk behaviors
A collaborative study between Impact Research and Development Organization and the University of Pennsylvania in the USA in partnership with Equity bank, Kenya
Purpose:
To test the impact of a “prize-linked savings” intervention on men’s engagement in high-risk behaviors (transactional sex and alcohol use), by reducing their spending on these behaviors
Objectives:
- To determine the effect of the savings intervention on the following on the composite incidence of HIV and other STIs over 24 months
- To determine the intervention’s effect on the following health and economic outcomes
- The total amount of savings and investment
- Total formal savings, and total household assets
- Investment behavior such as housing improvements, and schooling expenditures
- Expenditures on food and household needs
- Expenditures on alcohol and transactional sex
- Expenditures on gambling
- Self-reported sexual behavior, including number of transactional sex partners, total number of sexual partners and condom use.
- Alcohol use
Design:
Randomized Control Trial
Population:
Men ages 18-39 years with access to regular cash income and who are at high risk of HIV and STI infection
Coverage:
Siaya County
Duration:
5 years
Funding/Sponsor:
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Local IRB Approval:
Maseno University Ethics Review Committee – MUERC 1022/2
Current activities:
Participant recruitment