Political determinants and economic effects of HIV/AIDS: A push for the multisectoral approach

The proposed dissertation offers an explanation for the large differences in HIV/AIDS rates among 89 low and middle-income countries throughout the Sub Saharan African, Asian, and Latin American regions over a ten-year period (1995-2005). The HIV/AIDS rates in these countries vary widely and seemingly independently of economic wealth. One possible determinant of these differences is the presence and degree of development of strong multisectoral programs aimed at both prevention and cure of HIV/AIDS. The main hypothesis for this dissertation is: "A country's success in combating HIV/AIDS lies in the government's ability to implement an effective multisectoral program." This hypothesis is explored through quantitative models using data from the ten-year period (1995-2005). Results show that the presence of a multisectoral program over the ten-year period is associated with a significantly lower HIV/AIDS incidence rate by 2005. This effect is produced by controlling for various political, economic, societal, and institutional factors. Although there is some anecdotal evidence which suggests that multisectoral programs help to improve the HIV/AIDS problem in developing countries, there has been little if any empirical work done on this subject to date.