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Background: In the United States, Black Americans are suffering from a significantly disproportionate incidence of COVID-19. Going beyond mere epidemiological tallying, the potential for racial-justice interventions, including reparations payments, to ameliorate these disparities has not been adequately explored., Methods: We compared the COVID-19 time-varying R t curves of relatively disparate polities in terms of social equity (South Korea vs. Louisiana). Next, we considered a range of reproductive ratios to back-calculate the transmission rates β i→j for 4 cells of the simplified next-generation matrix (from which R 0 is calculated for structured models) for the outbreak in Louisiana. Lastly, we considered the potential structural effects monetary payments as reparations for Black American descendants of persons enslaved in the U.S. would have had on pre-intervention β i→j and consequently R 0 ., Results: Once their respective epidemics begin to propagate, Louisiana displays R t values with an absolute difference of 1.3-2.5 compared to South Korea. It also takes Louisiana more than twice as long to bring R t below 1. Reasoning through the consequences of increased equity via matrix transmission models, we demonstrate how the benefits of a successful reparations program (reflected in the ratio β b→b /β w→w ) could reduce R 0 by 31-68%., Discussion: While there are compelling moral and historical arguments for racial-injustice interventions such as reparations, our study considers potential health benefits in the form of reduced SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk. A restitutive program targeted towards Black individuals would not only decrease COVID-19 risk for recipients of the wealth redistribution; the mitigating effects would also be distributed across racial groups, benefiting the population at large., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Despite over 28,000 reported cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the 2013-16 outbreak in West Africa, we are only beginning to trace the complex biosocial processes that have promoted its spread. Important questions remain, including the effects on survivors of clinical sequelae, loss of family and livelihood, and other psychological and social trauma. Another poorly understood question is what effect social protection and job creation programs have had on survivors' wellbeing. Several clinical and social protection programs have been developed to respond to the needs of EVD survivors; however, little in the way of impact evaluation has taken place. We enrolled 200 randomly selected EVD survivors from Port Loko, Kenema, and Kailahun districts in Sierra Leone and stratified them based on the amount of instrumental social protection received post-discharge from an Ebola Treatment Unit. We then conducted a survey and in-depth interviews to assess participants' wellbeing and food security. Social protection categories II-IV (moderate to extensive) were each significantly associated with ∼15-22% higher wellbeing scores compared to minimal social protection (p < 0.001). Only social protection category IV (extensive) was significantly associated with being food secure (adjusted odds ratio 6.11; 95% confidence interval, 2.85-13.10) when compared to minimal social protection. Qualitative themes included having a sense of purpose during the crisis (work and fellowship helped survivors cope); using cash transfers to invest in business; the value of literacy and life-skills classes; loss of breadwinners (survivors with jobs were able to take over that role); and combating the consequences of stigma. We conclude that, for EVD survivors, short-term social protection during the vulnerable period post-discharge can pay dividends two years later. Based on the empiric evidence presented, we discuss how terms such as "outbreak" and "epidemic" do symbolic violence by creating the illusion that social suffering ends when transmission of a pathogen ceases., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper quantitatively examines the intergenerational effects of girl child marriage, or the developmental and health outcomes of children born to women who marry before age 18. The overall objective is to understand the mechanisms through which girl child marriage affects the health and well-being of children in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the relative magnitude and impact of these mechanisms. We used data from 37,558 mother-child pairs identified through 16 national and sub-national cross-sectional surveys across sub-Saharan Africa conducted between 2010 and 2014 by the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Clusters Survey program. The Early Childhood Development Index was used to measure child development, and stunting was used to measure health. Using logistic regression, we found that the odds of being off-track for development and being stunted were 25% and 29% higher, respectively, for children born to women who married before age 18 compared to those whose mothers married later (p < 0.001). Geographic location and primary education, which were conceptualized as contextual factors, explained most of this relationship, controlling for country fixed-effects. In adjusted models, we found that early childbearing was not the sole pathway through which girl child marriage affected child development and health. Our final models revealed that disparities in advanced maternal education and wealth explained child development and stunting. We conclude that there are intergenerational consequences of girl child marriage on her child's well-being, and that through association with other contextual, socioeconomic, and biological factors, marrying early does matter for child development and health. Our findings resonate with existing literature and point toward important policy considerations for improving early childhood outcomes., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

South Africa has one of the worst tuberculosis burdens in the world. Several ecological forces have contributed to this, including high HIV prevalence; failing TB control strategies; crowded, poorly ventilated indoor environments-including the complex web of political and economic interests which produce them; the development of racial capitalism; and mining and migration. In the following study, we measure CO2 levels in public transport to investigate the role extended commutes from peri-urban settlements to urban sites of work-a direct result of forced removals-potentially play in propagating the TB epidemic in Cape Town, South Africa., (Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The goals of the current study were to: (1) estimate the prevalence of forced sex among women accessing services at a women's health clinic in rural Haiti; and (2) examine factors associated with forced sex in this population. Based on data from a case-control study of risk factors for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), a cross-sectional analysis to examine factors associated with forced sex was performed. A number of factors related to gender inequality/socioeconomic vulnerability placed women in rural Haiti at higher risk of forced sex. The strongest factors associated with forced sex in multivariate analyses were: age, length of time in a relationship, occupation of the woman's partner, STD-related symptoms, and factors demonstrating economic vulnerability. The findings suggest that prevention efforts must go beyond provision of information and education to the pursuit of broader initiatives at both local and national levels. At the community level, policy-makers should consider advancing economic opportunities for women who are vulnerable to forced sex. Improving access to community-based income-generating activities may begin to address this problem. However, the viability of these local projects depends largely upon Haiti's 'macro-economic' situation. In order to ensure the success of local initiatives, external humanitarian and development assistance to Haiti should be supported. By broadening the definition of "prevention" interventions, we may begin to address the systemic problems that contribute to the occurrence of forced sex and the increasing incidence of HIV infection throughout the world, such as gender inequality and economic vulnerability. Taking into account factors influencing risk at the local level as well as the macro-level will potentially improve our capacity to reduce the risk of forced sex and the spread of STDs, including HIV infection, for millions of women living in poverty worldwide.