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Aaron Richterman

@draaron.bsky.social
2.3K followers 1.3K following 62 posts

Penn HIV/ID physician-scientist — Poverty/Food Insecurity and Health — Social Protection Policies ldi.upenn.edu/fellows/fellows-direc…

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Reposted by Aaron Richterman
Penn LDI @pennldi.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
How do primary care patients use cash transfers to improve their health? A qualitative pilot study in a Philadelphia clinic by LDI Fellows suggests that cash payments can have a range of positive impacts on health behaviors among patients with chronic diseases.
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Penn LDI @pennldi.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
NEW: In @theatlantic.com, LDI Fellows Aaron Richterman (@draaron.bsky.social) and Harsha Thirumurthy (@hthirumurthy.bsky.social) share four ways to design cash transfer programs that can reduce poverty and improve health in the U.S. Read more here: www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/...
theatlantic.com
Four Conditions Make Cash Transfers Save Lives
The success of other countries shows these programs can work in the United States.
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Reposted by Aaron Richterman
Penn LDI @pennldi.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
NEW: Our latest brief covers research from LDI Senior Fellows @draaron.bsky.social @hthirumurthy.bsky.social and Jere Behrman that provides the first population-level evidence that cash transfer programs substantially reduce mortality. Read more here: bit.ly/47gpGkl
bit.ly
Cash Transfer Programs Can Help Health Outcomes
Using data from 37 low- and middle-income countries, the research provides evidence that these programs substantially reduce mortality rates population-wide.
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Reposted by Aaron Richterman
Timothy McBride @mcbridetd.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
Four Conditions Make Cash Transfers Save Lives The success of other countries shows these programs can work in the United States www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/...
theatlantic.com
Four Conditions Make Cash Transfers Save Lives
The success of other countries shows these programs can work in the United States.
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Reposted by Aaron Richterman
The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 01/03/2026
Most cash-transfer programs have failed to produce health gains in the U.S.—except for SNAP, Aaron Richterman and Harsha Thirumurthy argue. They examine the conditions that make SNAP work, and how it may provide a road map for other programs:
bit.ly
Four Conditions Make Cash Transfers Save Lives
The success of other countries shows these programs can work in the United States.
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
Why does cash save lives in Tanzania but barely move the needly in Texas? New piece in @theatlantic.com with @hthirumurthy.bsky.social: We break down the conditions that make cash transfers improve health, and why SNAP gets closets to what works globally. www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/...
theatlantic.com
Four Conditions Make Cash Transfers Save Lives
The success of other countries shows these programs can work in the United States.
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Reposted by Aaron Richterman
Penn LDI @pennldi.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
From research to policy impact 📊➡️🏛️ In 2024, LDI Fellows Aditi Vasan, @draaron.bsky.social & George Dalembert briefed PA lawmakers & Gov. Shapiro's office on the health benefits of tax credits—helping shape the new Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit, recently signed into law. bit.ly/4qvTQb8
bit.ly
LDI Research Shapes Pennsylvania Tax Credit
Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit (WPTC) offers a tax benefit to low-income workers.
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Reposted by Aaron Richterman
Aaron Schwartz @aschwartz.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
🚨New Paper🚨 US doctors are paid very different amounts for treating different patients—even when providing identical services. How much less are physicians paid for treating non-White patients? In @jamahealthforum.com, we offer the 1st national estimates. (1/7) jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com
Payments to Physician Practices and Incentives to Serve Different Racial and Ethnic Groups
This study measures disparities across patient racial and ethnic groups in per-visit payment to physician practices from health insurers and other sources, adjusted for visit content, geographic marke...
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
Philadelphia is at risk of losing vital support for people living with HIV as funding cuts ripple through programs that address not just treatment but education, housing, and food security. Check out this piece from Billy Penn on what’s at stake ➝ billypenn.com/2025/11/18/h...
billypenn.com
Funding cuts threaten people in Philly living with HIV
Organizations that provide services like HIV education and living recommendations are being forced to cut programming after funding cuts
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Reposted by Aaron Richterman
Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
New in @thelancet.com: a follow-up to our @nature.com paper on cash transfers and mortality in low- and middle-income countries. This studies explores *why* cash transfers reduce death, tracing effects on determinants of survival. free access 🔗: kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F...
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
Thanks! Thats a great idea.
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
@hthirumurthy.bsky.social @pennidfellows.bsky.social @pennmehp.bsky.social @pennmedicine.bsky.social @madhupai.bsky.social
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
This paper builds on years of work with collaborators at @pennldi.bsky.social and @pih.org, and was supported by NICHD. Read the full @thelancet.com study at this free 🔗: kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F...
hp.bsky.social
Bluesky
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
Together, these findings clarify how cash transfers save lives in LMICs. As countries debate scaling back or redesigning social protection programs, the health impacts should be central to the discussion.
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
We also saw evidence of a dose-response: The strongest effects tended to occur in countries where cash transfers reached more people.
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
When we linked some of these determinants to subsequent child mortality data, they explained 63% of the previously observed mortality reduction.
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
and (4) improved child health outcomes: • -6pp diarrheal illness • -2pp underweight (–2 pp) • +0.8/1000 male twin livebirths — a marker of improved fetal environment
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
(3) healthier caregiver behaviors: • +14 pp exclusive breastfeeding • +7 pp minimum acceptable diet • +5 pp measles vaccination coverage
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
(2) reproductive empowerment: • +2.5 mo longer interdelivery intervals • +2 pp desired pregnancies • -10 pp unmet need for contraception
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
Cash transfer programs were associated with (1) improvements in crucial drivers of maternal/newborn survival: • +5 pp early antenatal care • +7 pp facility deliveries • +8 pp deliveries by skilled birth attendants
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
Using data from >2M births & nearly 1M children across 37 countries (2000–2019), we linked national cash transfer programs to 17 health-related outcomes. We used a two-stage difference-in-differences design (Gardner) to estimate program effects, and adjusted for multiple comparisons.
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
Poverty drives many preventable deaths. Over 100 LMICs now use government-led cash transfer programs. In our 2023 @nature.com study, we showed these programs *substantially reduced mortality among women and young children* www.nature.com/articles/s41... But how do they work? 👇
nature.com
The effects of cash transfers on adult and child mortality in low- and middle-income countries - Nature
A survey of mortality data from low- and middle-income countries shows that government-led cash transfer programmes are associated with decreased mortality among women and children under five years of...
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
New in @thelancet.com: a follow-up to our @nature.com paper on cash transfers and mortality in low- and middle-income countries. This studies explores *why* cash transfers reduce death, tracing effects on determinants of survival. free access 🔗: kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F...
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
#Haiti #HIV #Pregnancy #CashTransfers @louiseisainmdom.bsky.social @healthequityintl.bsky.social @pennldi.bsky.social @pennmedcso.bsky.social @pennmedresearch.bsky.social @pennmedicine.bsky.social
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
This study was conducted under extraordinarily difficult conditions in Haiti. Deep gratitude and congratulations to our incredible partners at St. Boniface Hospital and Health Equity International. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Money, Medicine, and Motherhood: Developing a Cash Transfer for Pregnant Women with HIV in Rural Haiti - AIDS and Behavior
Improving perinatal engagement in HIV care is critical to prevent disease progression and transmission. In Haiti and other low-resource settings, poverty contributes substantially to poor perinatal HI...
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
The heart of this paper lies in the participants’ voices: “What can affect me taking them is the problem of not having the means… you know how life is right now. No money. Although things are like this, even when I don’t have food, I still try to take the medicine.”
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Targeted poverty alleviation during pregnancy could address many of these barriers. Participants shared thoughtful perspectives on what such support might look like in practice, and raised importance concerns like the need the sure discreet, confidential delivery.
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Women in our study were deeply committed to their own health and their babies’ health, yet faced profound challenges from poverty, food insecurity, and stigma.
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Within a few years after giving birth, many women with HIV fall out of care. In our new paper from rural Haiti, we explore why this happens—and what might help prevent it link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Money, Medicine, and Motherhood: Developing a Cash Transfer for Pregnant Women with HIV in Rural Haiti - AIDS and Behavior
Improving perinatal engagement in HIV care is critical to prevent disease progression and transmission. In Haiti and other low-resource settings, poverty contributes substantially to poor perinatal HI...
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Reposted by Aaron Richterman
Penn LDI @pennldi.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
SNAP benefits may resume—but deep cuts are still coming. Court rulings may soon restart payments, but the One Big Beautiful Bill Act slashes SNAP by $187 billion. LDI Fellows discussed how this will impact food insecurity, worsen health outcomes, and more. bit.ly/4hJLKbl
ldi.upenn.edu
Deep Food Cuts are Coming for Millions of Americans
But what many lawmakers, journalists, and Americans fail to recognize is that SNAP is also a hugely successful public health operation.
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
This is a good write up on the unfortunate and likely health consequences of upcoming SNAP cuts. Not to mention the desperation being experienced by many people now experiencing a delay in Nov benefits. ldi.upenn.edu/our-work/res...
ldi.upenn.edu
Deep Food Cuts are Coming for Millions of Americans
But what many lawmakers, journalists, and Americans fail to recognize is that SNAP is also a hugely successful public health operation.
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Reposted by Aaron Richterman
BK. Titanji @boghuma.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
Three major respiratory viruses COVID-19, RSV & flu still drive hospitalizations yearly. A new review of 511 studies shows current vaccines work. COVID-19 mRNA shots targeting XBB.1.5 cut hospitalizations by ~46–50%; newer KP.2-adapted vaccines reached 68% effectiveness. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
nejm.org
Updated Evidence for Covid-19, RSV, and Influenza Vaccines for 2025–2026 | NEJM
Changes in the vaccine advisory process in the United States have disrupted immunization guidance, which reinforces the need for independent evidence review to inform decisions regarding immunizati...
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Reposted by Aaron Richterman
Jake Scott, MD @jakescottmd.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
Thank you, @cidrap.bsky.social, for covering our new @nejm.org review of Covid-19, RSV, and influenza immunizations. Check it out: cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/meta-analysis-covid-rsv-flu-vaccines-fall-provides-sea-data-showing-efficacy-safety
cidrap.umn.edu
Meta-analysis of COVID, RSV, flu vaccines for fall provides 'sea of data' showing efficacy, safety
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
👇🏻 our new paper on updated evidence for respiratory virus vaccines
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
“The evidence-based processes used by the ACIP were adopted to prevent exactly what happened at the first 2 meetings this year: presentation of anecdotes, selective quoting of single studies, and a lack of in-depth evaluation of some of the evidence presented.” jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
share.google
ACIP Standards for Assessing Evidence
This Viewpoint discusses Institute of Medicine (IOM) standards for clinical guideline development and measures taken by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to bring ACIP in line wi...
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Reposted by Aaron Richterman
CIDRAP @cidrap.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
📢 Important update! Join the Vaccine Integrity Project live stream TOMORROW 8/19 at 2pm ET. We'll review flu, COVID & RSV vaccine data—focused on safety & efficacy during pregnancy, and for kids & the immunocompromised. Watch here:
youtube.com
From Data to Decisions: The Evidence Base for 2025 Fall/Winter Immunizations
Join the Vaccine Integrity Project for an expert presentation on the latest publicly available data regarding the safety and efficacy of flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines. In this recorded live stream, the scientific research team will highlight key findings on the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
During the live stream, the scientific research team will focus on the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 and RSV immunizations in pregnant, pediatric, and immunocompromised populations. Please tune in!
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
I am part of the data team that has been looking at the recently published body of publicly available data concerning vaccine safety and efficacy for flu, COVID, and RSV immunizations.
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
Tomorrow at 2pm the Vaccine Integrity Project through @CIDRAP will host a live webinar, From Data to Decisions: The Evidence Base for 2025 Fall/Winter Immunizations. The panel will break down evidence on vaccine safety and effectiveness followed by a Q&A. youtube.com/watch?v=lSuvGl…
youtube.com
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Apoorva Mandavilli @apoorvanyt.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
Of every 1,000 children born in Kenya, 32 don’t make it to their first birthdays. A new stumbled onto a straightforward solution: Giving $1,000 to poor families lowered infant mortality rates by nearly half, and deaths in children under 5 by 45 percent. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/h...
nytimes.com
A New Way to Reduce Children’s Deaths: Cash
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NPR @npr.org · 18/08/2025
To save the lives of infants and small kids in lower resource countries, there are a handful of tools: anti-malarial drugs, bed nets and vaccines. A massive experiment in rural Kenya suggests another. n.pr/4fKcjw3
n.pr
Researchers discover a secret weapon that saves babies' lives. And it's not medical
To save the lives of infants and small kids in lower resource countries, there are a handful of tools: anti-malarial drugs, bed nets and vaccines. A massive experiment in rural Kenya suggests another.
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
Delightful footnote in that book
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
IMPORTANT UPDATE IMPORTANT UPDATE Regarding APHU/ACLU et al. vs. NIH Lawsuit
media.tenor.com
a cartoon of a man and a dog with the words now 's the time for action written on the bottom
ALT: a cartoon of a man and a dog with the words now 's the time for action written on the bottom
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Aaron Regunberg @aaronregunberg.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
I wrote a letter to my mom about Gaza. It's personal, but I wanted to share, in case it can be useful to anyone else who’s decided it’s time to have this discussion with their parents, or any parents who’ve decided it’s time to understand their children. aaronregunberg.substack.com/p/a-message-...
aaronregunberg.substack.com
A message to our Jewish parents on Gaza
You taught us to say "Never Again." We need you to say it now.
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Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
1. The pediatric death toll from #flu for 2024-25 continues to climb, with #CDC informed of 5 more deaths last week. That brings the season's total so far to 266, which is only 22 fewer than during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic! Of kids eligible for vax & for whom vax status is known, 90% weren't vaxed.
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Bill Gates @billgates.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
To me, this is the most remarkable thing about global health: With a relatively small amount of money, you can do a great deal of good for a great many people. This is money well spent, and we should go back to spending it—now.
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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
A new study estimates that USAID saved 92 million lives from 2001 to 2021, and that its demolition could kill 14 million people in only five years through 2030. That would make the end of USAID by far the most impactful action Trump has taken this year. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
nbcnews.com
USAID cuts could lead to 14 million deaths over the next five years, researchers say
An analysis published Monday in the medical journal The Lancet projects that cuts to the agency will lead to more deaths from diseases like AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
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Aaron Richterman @draaron.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
11 minutes: watch and share www.cbsnews.com/news/when-is...
cbsnews.com
"When is cancer political?" Medical researchers, patients decry Trump admin's layoffs, budget cuts
Scientists conducting medical research are facing an existential crisis: Layoffs and budget cuts pushed by President Trump that, they say, jeopardize finding a cure for cancer.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics @ameracadpeds.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Hepatitis B can be passed from parent to baby at birth - and when that happens, the consequences can be deadly. It is unscientific and dangerous to intentionally ignore the success of U.S. vaccination programs or argue that the U.S. should not vaccinate babies for hepatitis B at birth.
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