Ongoing projects

Adopting PrEP preventive treatment in the sex market in Côte d’Ivoire (Job Market Paper, Available here)

Since 2015, the WHO has been advocating for the dissemination of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) among Female Sex Workers (FSWs). Yet studies find low adherence among FSWs. This paper tests the hypothesis that adherence to treatment depends on the heterogeneity on the cost-benefit between preventive health and risky sexual behavior. It defines a theoretical framework for preventive treatment adherence. The theory is empirically tested with a simultaneous equations model. It uses a new database collected from November 2019 to April 2021 in San Pedro (Côte d’Ivoire), as part of the project PRINCESSE ANRS 12381. The attrition to the project captures non-adherence to PrEP. Estimates show that treatment adherence variates with the number of sexual intercourse. Having fewer clients significantly increases the likelihood of dropping treatment. These results are consistent with theoretical predictions. The effect is stronger for those who do not believe in the treatment efficiency. This paper complements previous studies on PrEP impact on risk compensating behavior among FSWs.

Aid for aids and testing behavior: evidence from Malawi (2000-2016)

What is the impact of foreign aid-funded HIV-prevention programs on the testing decision? Since the 1990s, Malawi has successfully fought HIV, yet it remains the country with the second highest HIV incidence rate. This empirical paper studies the impact of exposure to a prevention program on screening. It matches HIV-prevention programs implemented between 1997 and 2017 (AidData and Ministry of Finance of Malawi) to 92,310 respondents from four Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) waves. It finds that exposure to HIV-prevention programs has not increased the likelihood of getting tested. On the contrary, it has decreased the likelihood of being tested by 3 percent between 2004 and 2010. This impact variates according to the intensity of exposure. Mechanisms analysis shows that foreign-funded HIV-prevention programs might have increased stigma, despite a high level of knowledge about HIV. The negative impact is stronger for men than women, encouraging further investigation into the “HIV testing burden” among couples.

Peer-reviewed publications

“The relatively young and rural population may limit the spread and severity of COVID-19 in Africa: a modelling study” BMJ Global Health. 2020;5:e002699. with Binta Zahra Diop, Marieme Ngom and John N. Pougué Biyong.

Policy Reports

CUA/OCDE (2022), Africa’s Development Dynamics 2022 : Regional Value Chains for a Sustainable Recovery , Éditions OCDE, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/2e3b97fd-en.