1 论文标题
AN EQUILIBRIUM MODEL OF THE AFRICAN HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC
2 作者信息
Jeremy Greenwood
Philipp Kircher
Cezar Santos
Michèle Tertilt
3 出处和链接(NBER Working Paper No. 18953)
http://www.nber.org/papers/w18953.pdf
4 摘要
Eleven percent of the Malawian population is HIV infected. Eighteen percent of sexual encounters
are casual. A condom is used one quarter of the time. A choice-theoretic general equilibrium search
model is constructed to analyze the Malawian epidemic. In the developed framework, people select
between different sexual practices while knowing the inherent risk. The analysis suggests that the efficacy
of public policy depends upon the induced behavioral changes and general equilibrium effects that
are typically absent in epidemiological studies and small-scale field experiments. For some interventions
(some forms of promoting condoms or marriage), the quantitative exercise suggests that these effects
may increase HIV prevalence, while for others (such as male circumcision or increased incomes) they
strengthen the effectiveness of the intervention. The underlying channels giving rise to these effects
are discussed in detail.