Harnessing the Private Sector for Rural Development, Poverty Alleviation and HIV/AIDS Prevention

Steven Lim (), Michael P. Cameron (), Krailert Taweekul () and John Askwith ()
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Krailert Taweekul: Khon Kaen University, http://www.kku.ac.th

Working Papers in Economics from University of Waikato, Department of Economics

Abstract: In resource-constrained developing countries, mobilizing resources from outside sources may assist in overcoming many development challenges. This paper examines the Thai Business Initiative in Rural Development (TBIRD), an NGO-sponsored program that brings together the comparative advantages and self-interest of rural villages, private sector firms and a facilitating NGO, to improve social and community health outcomes in rural areas. We analyze key issues in the program with data from Northeast Thailand. We find that the TBIRD program appears to improve the income earning and other prospects of the TBIRD factory workers. Further, TBIRD factory employment exhibits a pro-poor bias. A key impact is to provide jobs for people who might otherwise be at increased risk of HIV infection through poverty-induced decisions to migrate to urban centres and participate in the commercial sex industry. This program adds another important tool for development planners in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Keywords: rural development; poverty; HIV/AIDS; Thailand (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O29 I31 I38 L31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-dev, nep-hea and nep-sea
Date: 2007-01-15
Note: Revised 2008-06-13
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