Pilot Study of Monthly Unconditional Cash Transfers to Support Pregnant Women With HIV in Botswana

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the impact of unconditional cash transfers on mental bandwidth, antiretroviral therapy ART adherence, and postpartum retention among pregnant women with HIV in Botswana. This pilot trial explores if providing monthly cash support improves these outcomes compared to usual care, while also assessing the feasibility and acceptability of delivering cash transfers via mobile money at public antenatal clinics. The study addresses the challenge of poverty as a barrier to sustained ART engagement during pregnancy and postpartum periods. Participants are pregnant women with HIV in their second trimester, randomly assigned to either receive the usual care plus a monthly unconditional cash transfer of 1,000 Botswana Pula BWP through six months postpartum or usual care alone. The study enrolls 100 women, with 50 in each group. Study visits occur at baseline, late pregnancy before delivery, and 3 to 6 months postpartum, including surveys, bandwidth assessments, and clinical data collection. A subset of participants will be interviewed qualitatively to explore intervention feasibility and acceptability. During the study, participants complete questionnaires and mental bandwidth tests at three key time points baseline, late pregnancy, and postpartum. Researchers will measure ART adherence from baseline through six months postpartum and evaluate food security, psychological distress, and other related outcomes. Safety and acceptability are monitored through interviews conducted 3 to 8 months postpartum. The entire participation spans from the second trimester through six months after delivery, with data collected at three visits.

Cash Transfers to Pregnant Women With HIV