Cash Transfers and Child Nutrition in Zambia

In this research paper, UNICEF examines the impacts of an unconditional cash transfer (CT) programme on children’s height-for-age. The programme was targeted to rural families in Zambia, with children under the age of five.

The paper reveals that although the CT scheme produced positive effects including increased food expenditure and meal frequency, there was no observable impact on height-for-age. Factors including a harsh disease environment, health knowledge of mothers and health infrastructure proved to be too onerous to be compensated by the increases in food intake generated by the programme. As such, this study concludes that in order for there to be a long-term impact on chronic malnutrition, CT schemes need to be complemented with other measures.