Farmers Willingness to Pay and the Sustainability of Irrigated Maize Production in Rural Kenya

This paper evaluated farmers willingness to pay for irrigated maize production using field level data collected through a cross sectional survey. The results showed that 78% of the farmers were willing to pay more than the men willingness to pay of 3,082. This was above the average payment that farmers were making. It was also noted that willingness to pay increased with increase in irrigation rates. Labour, tail end farms, and enforcement of scheme level rules and regulations will enhance willingness to pay. Efficient factor use is an important factor influencing the amount paid for irrigation. Although the economic value of water was found to be greater than the willingness to pay implying that irrigated maize production is sustainable, irrigation services in Kenya are highly subsidized by the government. We therefore recommend farmer training, empowering water user associations to help enforce irrigation management processes as a way of enhancing farmers’ willingness to pay. On sustainability of irrigated maize production, we recommend that market forces be allowed to establish the price of irrigation services

Rapid Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation for Women in an HIV-1 Prevention Clinical Trial Experiencing Primary HIV-1 Infection during Pregnancy or Breastfeeding.

During an HIV-1 prevention clinical trial in East Africa, we observed 16 cases of primary HIV-1 infection in women coincident with pregnancy or breastfeeding. Nine of eleven pregnant women initiated rapid combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), despite having CD4 counts exceeding national criteria for ART initiation; breastfeeding women initiated ART or replacement feeding. Rapid ART initiation during primary HIV-1 infection during pregnancy and breastfeeding is feasible in this setting

Participants with primary HIV-1 infection identified during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

<p>* Time to intervention is measured from the date of the first positive rapid HIV-1 test until antiretroviral therapy is initiated. For those who seroconverted to HIV-1 prior to pregnancy, time to intervention is measured from the date of the first positive pregnancy test until antiretroviral therapy is initiated.</p><p>Participants with primary HIV-1 infection identified during pregnancy or breastfeeding.</p