The HIV/AIDS pandemic

        The geography of HIV/AIDS in Africa varies by country, by regions within countries and by social groups. The highest rates of infection were in eastern Africa in the early 1980s but how now shifted to southern Africa, especially Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa where more than 20% of adults are infected. Urban dwellers who have multiple sex partners including young office workers and migrant workers have a higher infection rate as do women who work in the commercial sex trade and the wives and children of migrant workers. The incidence is lower in rural areas except along major truck routes and in areas where there are a lot of soldiers. The road from Malawi to Durban, where 92% of truck drivers are infected has been called the highway of death.

Problems associated with HIV/AIDS pandemic in the Developing World

        So many of the problems that are associated to the AIDS pandemic are inter-related. The severity of anyone of these problems varies by locality.

The impact of HIV/AIDS on economic development

        HIV/AIDS appears to be reversing many of the hard economic gains that were made by the LDCs in the later 20th century. In addition to being a disease affecting individuals, HIV/AIDS is a disease affecting the development of nations.

1. Economic growth: It is estimated that HIV/AIDS reduced per capita growth rate of Africa during the 1990s by 0.8% per annum. This rate is likely to have increased by now. This means that after about 20years, some of the African economies will be 20% smaller than would have been in the absence of HIV/AIDS.
2. Size of the labour force: The high death rates due to HIV/AIDS clearly have a negative effect on the size of the labour force. HIV/AIDS is most prevalent among the young and those of the working age groups. This means that many of the leaders of economic development become ill thus hampering economic progress. According to UNAIDS, Barclays Bank in Zambia lost most of its senior managers to HIV/AIDS in the early years of this century. The power shortage in Zambia recently reflects the illness of HIV/AIDS amongst the electrical engineers. The size of the labour force afflicted by HIV/AIDS is reduced further by the “brain drain”.
3. Effectiveness of the labour force: Skills within the labour force are depleted because of poor attendance in schools due to pressures of HIV/AIDS. Absenteeism is widespread and labour turnover is high. Consequently, training costs are high. Productivity in the labour force is reduced when many of its members are unwell.
4. Output levels: Because productivity is lowered, output is likely to be lowered and to become more expensive. A major corporation in South Africa called the Goldfields has estimated that HIV/AIDS will add $10 on ounce of the gold that it produces. A company called the Anglo-American has provided 900 rehabilitation clinics for workers who have HIV/AIDS and have paid for the anti-retroviral drugs. This is very costly for the company but it deems it worthwhile because of raised productivity and moral. Agricultural output has also fallen to areas severely affected by HIV/AIDS. There is a substitution of starchy root crops for the more nutritious crops and fruits which were previously grown. This is because there is less tending for the starchy root crops. Livestock are also sold to pay for medicines. Food insecurity develops, malnutrition call follow thus hunger and HIV/AIDS both reduce the bodies defences to disease.
5. Savings: When people do not expect to live for long, they tend to save less. Also what savings they have are spent on medical care. This is a problem in terms of economic progress because it is the savings that constitutes the financial capital for investment for the future economy.
6. Diverted government spending: The size of the tax base is being reduced in many LDCs because of HIV/AIDS. In addition, the resources previously channelled into economic projects are now diverted to increase healthcare and provision of the anti-retroviral drugs.

Increasing number of HIV/AIDS orphans

        Prior to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the south of the Sahara, on average 2% of the children were orphans. By 1999, this statistic had risen to 10% in some of these countries. UNICEF suggests that societies do not have the capacity of orphaning rates or more than 5%. Zambia currently had a rate in excess of 12%.

Likelihood of suffering HIV/AIDS: The orphans are likely to suffer HIV/AIDS because it had transferred to them from their mothers. Others will contract HIV/AIDS because of the lifestyle that they may adopt including prostitution. HIV/AIDS orphans are often shunned by the society partly because of the stigma linked with HIV/AIDS and the fear that they carry the disease.

Disruptive elements: HIV/AIDS often frequently congregate in cities such as Nairobi, Johannesburg and are amongst the street children of the South American countries like Brazil. These children are violent and they experience violence all around. They have been widely recruited into armies.

The need to take family responsibility: HIV/AIDS orphans frequently have to look after siblings. Child headed households are becoming frequent. Many governments will not recognise these and will not support them with grants. Usually the heads of the household cannot inherit the property.

Sociological difficulties: Many HIV/AIDS victims suffer from extreme trauma by seeing parents are relatives die before them.

Low education attainment: HIV/AIDS orphans are less likely to attend schools and this had long-term effect on employment potential.

Other problems associated with HIV/AIDS are demographic implications, pressures on the education system and pressures on the healthcare service.

Conclusion

        HIV/AIDS is undoubtedly going to be a long-term problem but the situation is a little more optimistic that 5years ago. This is a result of the following:

1. Governments of many LDCs have moved out from the state of denial and now there is a much more political commitment to address the problems of HIV/AIDS.
2. International anti-HIV/AIDS programs have become larger and more coherent.
3. The cost of producing the drugs needed to treat HIV/AIDS has fallen dramatically over recent years.