The Demand for Private Health Insurance in Malawi

This study investigates the determinants of demand for private health insurance among formal sector employees in Malawi, a poor country with heavy pressure on under-funded free government health services. The study is based on membership in the Medical Aid Society of Malawi’s (MASM), three schemes, namely: the VIP, the best; the Executive, the intermediate; and the Econoplan, the minimum. The results indicate that formal sector employees prefer to receive medical treatment from private fee-charging health facilities, where health insurance would be relevant. The study finds that the probability of enrolling in any of MASM’s schemes increases with income and with age for the top and minimum schemes. More children and good health status reduce the probability of enrolling into the two lower schemes. The results suggest the potentially important roles that can be played by information and interventions that address the affordability factor such as through employer contributions that take into consideration income and family size.Health insurance; MASM; Multinomial logit

Factors Determining the Use of Voluntary Counselling And Testing For HIV and AIDs Among Men And Women In Malawi

Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) is one of the measures used in the fight of HIV and AIDS in Malawi. WHO/UNAIDS/UNICEF (2011) estimated that about 440,000 to 510,000 people living with HIV and AIDS in Malawi were not getting treatment. This could be the case because they did not know their HIV status.  Knowing the factors that lead people to seek Voluntary Counseling and Testing services in Malawi could demystify this.  This study therefore investigated the determinants of Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV and AIDS among men and women in Malawi. The principal research focus was on the socio-economic and socio-demographic factors that determine one’s need to demand VCT services. A logistic regression model was used due to the categorical nature of the dependent variable i.e. whether one was tested or not.  Among women, the variables age, residence, education, marital status, employment, mode of employment and lifetime number of sexual partners were found to be significant factors influencing the uptake of VCT. With the lower class as the reference variable, the ‘rich group’ was found to significantly influence the uptake of VCT but not the middle class. On the men’s side, the variables age, education, region of residence, lifetime number of sexual partners, marital status, wealth status and employment were found to have a significant influence on VCT uptake. The results also show that a man’s place of residence and mode of employment do not affect VCT uptake. In summary, the findings show that for both men and women the variables; age, education and lifetime number of sexual partners were significant. The variables; residence and mode of employment were significant only for women while the variable region of residence was only significant for men. The variable wealth status had the rich group being significant among both men and women while middle group was insignificant among both men and women. The variables marital status and employment were significant at all levels for women while for men they had at least one variable not significant. The variable religion was insignificant for both women and men except one variable – other religion affiliation, which was significant among men. Keywords: Socio-economic and socio-demographic factors, Voluntary Counselling and Testing, Logistic Regression Mode

Abstracts of the 20th College of Medicine Research Dissemination Conference

No Abstract

The Demand for Private Health Insurance in Malawi

This study investigates the determinants of demand for private health insurance among formal sector employees in Malawi, a poor country with heavy pressure on under-funded free government health services. The study is based on membership in the Medical Aid Society of Malawi’s (MASM), three schemes, namely: the VIP, the best; the Executive, the intermediate; and the Econoplan, the minimum. The results indicate that formal sector employees prefer to receive medical treatment from private fee-charging health facilities, where health insurance would be relevant. The study finds that the probability of enrolling in any of MASM’s schemes increases with income and with age for the top and minimum schemes. More children and good health status reduce the probability of enrolling into the two lower schemes. The results suggest the potentially important roles that can be played by information and interventions that address the affordability factor such as through employer contributions that take into consideration income and family size

The Demand for Private Health Insurance in Malawi

This study investigates the determinants of demand for private health insurance among formal sector employees in Malawi, a poor country with heavy pressure on under-funded free government health services. The study is based on membership in the Medical Aid Society of Malawi’s (MASM), three schemes, namely: the VIP, the best; the Executive, the intermediate; and the Econoplan, the minimum. The results indicate that formal sector employees prefer to receive medical treatment from private fee-charging health facilities, where health insurance would be relevant. The study finds that the probability of enrolling in any of MASM’s schemes increases with income and with age for the top and minimum schemes. More children and good health status reduce the probability of enrolling into the two lower schemes. The results suggest the potentially important roles that can be played by information and interventions that address the affordability factor such as through employer contributions that take into consideration income and family size

Simulation of optimal harvesting strategies for small-scale mixed-sex tilapia (Oreochromis shiranus Boulenger 1896) ponds using a bio-economic model

Abstract A cohort-based bio-economic biomass growth and economic model, validated with data from experiments conducted in Malawi, was used to identify an optimal harvesting strategy for mixed-sex tilapia ponds. Three harvesting scenarios (baseline, economic optimum time 110 days and economic optimum time) were used. In each harvesting scenario four options were explored: (i) no further harvest, harvest every (ii) 60 days, (iii) 90 days and (iv) 120 days after initial harvest. The lowest simulated yield (487 kg ha À1 year À1 ) was obtained when no partial harvesting was carried out and ¢sh were harvested after 365 days. Maximum yield (4416 kg ha À1 year À1 ) was obtained when partial harvests were carried out every 90 days starting with a ¢rst harvest of ¢sh weighing 60 g or more at day 90. Maximum ¢nancial returns (US$2561 ha À1 year À1 ) were obtained when partial harvests were carried out every 120 days starting with the ¢rst harvest at day 90 and removing all ¢sh ! 60 g. The model simulations indicate that mixed-sex tilapia culture may be pro¢table for tilapia farmers in Africa where markets accept small (60^150 g)-sized ¢sh. The study further shows that a cohort-based population growth model can be reliably incorporated in tilapia production models to simulate ¢sh yields in mixed-sex tilapia production systems. However, incorporation of intergenerational competition e¡ects could improve the model's utility as a decision support tool for managing mixed-sex tilapia production

THE BEAN SUBSECTOR IN MALAWI: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS, CURRENT STATUS, AND POLICY ISSUES

Legumes are a major important source of protein in Malawi where animal protein is scarce and expensive. Among the legumes, beans are a major crop. A subsector study was conducted to examine the vertical set of activities from production, through distribution to consumption. The study revealed that generally smallholder farmers do not use inputs such as fertilizer or pesticides unlike in other crops, the Government does not provide credit for the inputs in beans. The majority of the farmers face seed shortage as a major constraint. While beans are generally grown for consumption and for sale, farmers differ the extent to which they rely on beans for sale. Generally, farmers in the areas without any lucrative crop and near urban areas will rely on beans as a major cash crop. The majority of the consumers rely on the market for getting beans. What influences marketing forces is poorly understood as not much research has been conducted to understand consumer behavior. Whereas earlier research was less market driven and concentrated on selecting on high performing lines, in recent years, there is an attempt to understand the market forces driving the seed sub-sector as well as understanding the farmers' seed technology issues. Central in these efforts will be to understand the role of institutions in improving the performance of the sub-sector

THE BEAN SUBSECTOR IN MALAWI: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS, CURRENT STATUS, AND POLICY ISSUES

Legumes are a major important source of protein in Malawi where animal protein is scarce and expensive. Among the legumes, beans are a major crop. A subsector study was conducted to examine the vertical set of activities from production, through distribution to consumption. The study revealed that generally smallholder farmers do not use inputs such as fertilizer or pesticides unlike in other crops, the Government does not provide credit for the inputs in beans. The majority of the farmers face seed shortage as a major constraint. While beans are generally grown for consumption and for sale, farmers differ the extent to which they rely on beans for sale. Generally, farmers in the areas without any lucrative crop and near urban areas will rely on beans as a major cash crop. The majority of the consumers rely on the market for getting beans. What influences marketing forces is poorly understood as not much research has been conducted to understand consumer behavior. Whereas earlier research was less market driven and concentrated on selecting on high performing lines, in recent years, there is an attempt to understand the market forces driving the seed sub-sector as well as understanding the farmers' seed technology issues. Central in these efforts will be to understand the role of institutions in improving the performance of the sub-sector.Crop Production/Industries,

Children Early Nutrition Supplementation and Augmenting Factors in Teaching of Reading in Lungwena, Mangochi District, Malawi

The study investigated the effect of early nutrition supplementation on children’s reading ability and factors that augment reading skills in children at pupil, household and school level. The study followed up on children that were provided with early nutrition supplementation in varying levels of intensity with a standardised reading test that was levelled for children with an equivalent of two years of primary education to determine how the nutrition supplementation affected their ability to read. The study used a multi-level random effects regression to determine effects that were due to children exposure to school, household and individual factors. The variables that were key at each level of effect were determined through a Principal Component analysis, and later regressed to determine those variables that were key to their reading abilities. The study did not find statistical significance on household and school effects but child specific variables. The study found that intensity of nutrition that a pupil takes in early years affect their ability to acquire reading skills. This was augmented by the number of times a pupil practice reading and availability of textbooks to read, including well stocked and utilized libraries available in schools where pupils were enrolled

DETERMINANTS OF FARMERS’WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR SUBSIDISED FARMINPUTS IN MALAWI

This study uses the standard Tobit model to calculate both average household and aggregate willingness topay (WTP)forsubsidisedfertilizersin Malawi and it traces the determinantsoffarmers’ WTP for the inputs.The results reveal that smallholder farmers are willing to pay for more inputs in the Farm Input SubsidyProgramme (FISP) withthe mean householdWTPat MK1000beingaboutten50kgfertilizerbags and thetotal WTP at the same price being46891 bags per yearfor4742observedhouseholds. Significantdeterminants of WTP include farm size,food security andradio ownership