Which policy has been most effective in breaking the cycle of poverty and disease in Botswana?

• A. Government investment in universal access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV/AIDS
• B. Restricting access to primary education
• C. Elimination of all import tariffs on luxury goods
• D. Subsidizing fossil fuel consumption for all citizens

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the context of the problem, which involves evaluating policies aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty and disease in Botswana. Recognize that the problem is about the effectiveness of different policy interventions in improving health and economic outcomes.
2. Step 2: Analyze each policy option in terms of its potential impact on poverty and disease. For example, consider how government investment in universal access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) directly targets HIV/AIDS, a major health issue in Botswana, and how this can improve health outcomes and productivity.
3. Step 3: Evaluate the other options by considering their likely effects. Restricting access to primary education would likely worsen poverty by limiting human capital development. Eliminating import tariffs on luxury goods may not directly address poverty or disease. Subsidizing fossil fuel consumption could increase costs and environmental harm without targeting health or poverty effectively.
4. Step 4: Use economic reasoning to connect health improvements from ART access to increased labor productivity, reduced healthcare costs, and overall economic growth, which helps break the cycle of poverty and disease.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the policy with the most direct and significant impact on both health and economic outcomes is government investment in universal access to ART, making it the most effective policy among the options provided.