Using weekly financial and health diaries to track health and income effects of the Covid-19 outbreak and government response measures in rural Kenya

While the current number of Covid-19 cases is relatively limited in Kenya, the anticipation of Covid-19 arrives much earlier than any exponential growth of infections, and so do the measures in response to it. Even in the absence of Covid-19 cases, the government implemented counter measures, such as travel restrictions, curfew and school closures, that directly affect livelihoods and well-being in the very short run, by reducing consumption of households and increasing their risk of poverty. Moreover, anecdotal evidence from the field indicates that people have started reducing their (non-Covid-19) visits to health care providers in order to avoid becoming infected with the virus, with potentially severe health consequence as a result. This study will provide rapid information on how the Covid-19 outbreak, and the government’s response, is affecting the health and incomes of the households in rural Kenya using weekly financial and health diaries. We will examine (1) how the government lockdown measures affect income and consumption patterns for men and women separately; and (2) the effects of Covid-19 and preventive measures on maternal and newborn health care utilization and outcomes.