Table 1 Model parameters for widow cleansing and wife inheritance

(i) Values used as model inputs

 Proportion of widowed women who undergo wife inheritance

56.4%

[14]

 Proportion of widowed women who undergo widow cleansing

40.6%

[14]

 Proportion of all men available to perform professional (paid) cleansing

0.2%

Assumed

 Proportion of all men available to perform non-professional cleansing

30%

Assumed

 Proportion of cleansing performed by a professional cleanser

31%

[14]

 Proportion of cleansing performed by a non-professional cleanser

69%

[14]

 Proportion of all men available to be a professional (paid) inheritor

0.2%

Assumed

 Proportion of all men who are available to be a non-professional inheritor

30%

Assumed

 Proportion of inheritance performed by professional (paid) inheritors

28%

[14]

 Proportion of inheritance performed by non-professional inheritors

72%

[14]

 Delay time from husband’s death until widow cleansing occurs

2–12 months^a

[4]

 Delay time from widow cleansing until wife inheritance

 < 1 month^b

[4]

(ii) Data used for model validation^c

 HIV prevalence among inherited widows, 2003–2007^d

64.1% (95% CI: 63.2–65.4%)

[14]

 HIV prevalence among women ages 15–49, 2003

18.3% (95% CI: 13.3–23.9%)

[45]

 HIV prevalence among men ages 15–49, 2003

11.6% (95% CI: 6.8–17.4%)

[45]

 HIV prevalence among women ages 15–49, 2007

17.6% (95% CI: 14.2–21.3%)

[46]

 HIV prevalence among men ages 15–49, 2007

11.4% (95% CI: 8.5–14.6%)

[46]

 HIV prevalence among women ages 15–49, 2008

16.0% (95% CI: 12.0–20.5%)

[47]

 HIV prevalence among men ages 15–49, 2008

11.4% (95% CI: 7.9–15.5%)

[47]

 HIV prevalence among women ages 15–49, 2012

17.6% (95% CI: 13.1–22.6%)

[48]

 HIV prevalence among men ages 15–49, 2012

13.4% (95% CI: 9.3–18.1%)

[48]

 HIV prevalence among women ages 15–49, 2018

8.3% (95% CI: 6.7–10.0%)

[49]

 HIV prevalence among men ages 15–49, 2018

16.7% (95% CI: 14.5–19.0%)

[49]