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Assessing the Effect of Conditional Cash Transfers in Children Chronic Stunting: The Human Development Bonus in Ecuador
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Analiti a, Revista de análisis estadístico, Vol. 13 (1), 2017
Registro Social II
(RSII). The amount increased to 50US$ per month and by the end of 2014,
approximately 2’200.000 nuclear families and 7’500.000 individuals were part of the Registry
from which 1’119.858 families were beneficiaries from the three types and 444.562 received the
mother’s one (MCDS webpage). Additionally, the first attempt to implement “graduation”,
a process in which recipients stop collecting the transfer since they are considered to have
already acquired the capabilities to become responsible for their own development (according
to the Ministerial Agreement No. 90197 of 28th March 2013), took place in this period.
The main goals of the programme remained similar through the stages, and were specif-
ically to guarantee families a level of minimum consumption, decrease the prevalence of
stunting and vaccine-preventable diseases for children under 5, promote school attendance
between ages 6 and 16, and protect the elderly and persons with disabilities (Rosero and
Mart´ınez, 2007). Each index was calculated through a PCA, a multivariate analysis method
that constructs a score on the basis of the observed covariance of certain selected variables. In
this case, it is a 0 to 100 index based on variables that have high associations with per-capita
consumption and which are taken from living standard measurement surveys pertaining to
each period. Additionally, with each index change a different threshold was established
which was paired up to a poverty line (Table 1).
Table 1:
Indexes and eligibility criteria*
1
SELBEN
Quintile 1
≤
42,87
Quintile 2
>
42,87 &
≤
50,65
Survey: 1999 Living Standard Measurement Survey
2
RS
Extreme poverty
≤
25,5992
Poverty
>
25,5992 &
≤
36,5987
No poverty
>
36,5987
Survey: 2006 Living Standard Measurement Survey
3
RS II
Extreme vulnerability
≤
24,087658
Vulnerability protection band
≥
24,087659 &
≤
28,20351
Vulnerability
≥
28,20352 &
≤
34,67905
No vulnerability
≥
34,67906
Survey: 2012 Households Socio-Economic Situation Survey
∗
Shaded thresholds were considered eligible
Source:
MCDS.
Likewise, other CCTs, the BDH is thought to address children chronic malnutrition via
direct and indirect ways. The cash is expected to increase food consumption towards a
more nutritious household diet. And, during health checks, kids are given supplements and
their growth is monitored. Though, given the logistic and budget constraints, monitoring
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