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November 12, 2007, 12:58 PM ET
Popular Approach to Aiding the World's Poor Comes Under Attack
Efforts by nonprofit groups and governments to advertise and sell products such as mosquito nets and condoms to needy people are facing a severe backlash as health officials and economists argue that giving such products away is much more effective, reports The Boston Globe.
Despite some promising successes with so-called social marketing, such as a condom-selling operation in Zimbabwe that may have contributed to a decline in HIV infection rates there, social marketing may not be as important as simply giving away the medication, condoms, or other items, reports the Globe.
Even charging a minimal amount — a practice meant to demonstrate the products’ value — can depress the number of people who actually use the item. For example, researchers from the Brookings Institution and Dartmouth recently found that charging pregnant women 75 cents apiece for mosquito nets lowered distribution by 75 percent.
“You can’t expect people with no money to buy bed nets,” said Jeffrey Sachs, a Columbia University economist, during a visit to Angola last year. “Enough with social marketing!”
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