Health
In addition to supporting policymakers in applying evidence from randomized evaluations to their work, sector chairs and staff write policy insights that synthesize general lessons emerging from the research, condense results from evaluations in policy publications and evaluation summaries, and disseminate lessons to policy makers through targeted outreach. The sector also hosts initiatives such as the US Health Care Delivery Initiative to fund new research.
Project
Using Social Networks, Incentives, and Reminders to Boost Vaccine Demand
A package of interventions combining well-connected local immunization ambassadors, targeted reminders, and incentives to caregivers increased measles vaccination by approximately 55 percent in an at-scale study in Haryana, India. A version using only reminders and ambassadors was less expensive per...
Blog
Strengthening Covid-19 immunization demand: Lessons from existing evidence
J-PAL's Health sector co-chairs and staff discuss lessons from evidence for strengthening Covid-19 immunization demand.
Blog
Encouraging adherence to preventive health guidelines during a pandemic: Lessons from rigorous Covid-19 evidence
This note provides an overview of the evidence from randomized evaluations that has come out during the Covid-19 pandemic thus far to combat these barriers. These general lessons on increasing uptake of healthy behaviors and improving the delivery of health products and services may be of value in...
Policy insight
Improving health worker performance through pay-for-performance programs
Pay-for-performance incentive programs for health care workers reward providers based on measurable performance indicators. Providing performance-based pay in addition to base pay can help to improve health provider performance on well-chosen targeted indicators relative to providing only base pay. ...
Evaluation
Forced Displacement and Mental Health
Researchers evaluated the impact of a psychosocial support program on mental health and child development among Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Results showed that the support program improved the mental health of mothers and children and led to improvements in early childhood development.
Evaluation
The Value of Communication for Mental Health
Researchers used a randomized evaluation to measure the impact of providing mobile calling credits to low-income adults on well-being outcomes in Ghana. Overall, the mobile credit intervention increased the ability for individuals to meet unexpected communication needs, particularly when delivered...
Evaluation
Randomized Evaluation of the Nurse Family Partnership in South Carolina
Researchers are evaluating the impact of an intensive nurse home visiting program for low-income mothers on pregnancy and birth outcomes, child health and development, and future life-courses for the family. The program had no effect on adverse birth outcomes; the other categories of outcomes are...
