Before transportation routes were available, Africans lived largely in rural areas isolated from each other. Now, great amount of people live in cites, causing more human interactions, increasing the transfer rate of AIDS. High levels of prostitution in cities also play a major role of AIDS spreading.
No sexual education classes in schools to teach children the danger of AIDS and AIDS testing is not widely available in most countries.
Africa has the highest rape rate in the world, with one African woman raped every 26 seconds.
Australia and New Zealand is the least infected region because:
People are more educated thus they have more knowledge on contraceptive and how to stay away from AIDS.
Sex education in schools allowing children to know more about AIDS.
Medical treatment and drugs are available because both the government and people can afford it.
Government spend adequate amount of money in establishing organization to fight against AIDS and investment of drugs and treatments against AIDS.
Effect of AIDS, economically and socially.
Economically
AIDS has a profound impact on economic growth. It is estimated that the annual per capita growth in countries with more than 20% AIDS prevalence rate will fall 0.5-1.2%. This has a great impact on everyone, especially those who live in poverty because they can’t afford to pay for the AIDS treatment. Studies in Rwanda shows that household with AIDS patient spend 20 more time on average compare to those households without AIDS patient. Moreover, Aids is reducing the ratio of healthy workers to dependants. Combined with the erosion of human capital and loss of skilled and experienced workers, this can create a mismatch between human resources and workforce required. AIDS also weakens a country’s tax base. As a result, national finances will come under pressure. Slow economic growth means slow growths of tax base and governments have to face the problem of AIDS at the same time.
Socially
Life expectancy of many countries has fallen dramatically due to AIDS. For countries such as Botswana and Zimbabwe, the life expectancy is less than 40 years. If it’s not due to AIDS, average life expectancy is expected to be 62. The increasing mortality and the growth of the number of orphans pose unprecedented social welfare demands for countries already burdened by huge economic challenges. Teachers and student are dying or leaving school, reducing both the quality and efficiency of educational system. Faltering education services will also diminish human capital in every other sector. Moreover, families often remove girls from school to take care for sick relatives or other family responsibilities, jeopardizing the girls’ education and future prospects. Reduced education for women causes girls to be more vulnerable to AIDS and may impede the nation’s development.
Why is AIDS so prevalent in Africa?
AIDS are so prevalent in Africa due to poverty, migrant workers, status of women, and denial.
Poverty
While it is not in itself a disease of poverty, poverty increases a person’s susceptibility to the disease. Woman maybe forced into engage in commercial sex as an economic survival strategy. As the number of orphans grow, increasing number of children are in risk, through the lost of educational opportunities, and forcing them to survive in high-risk situations on the street. Poor educational opportunities for people living in poverty limit their access to the information about AIDS and services.
Migrant Workers
Many of the most infected countries substantial amount of migrant workers, mainly composed of males working in mining, agriculture, transport, and military forces. The women who provide sexual services for those migrant workers are particularly at risk. As a result of more interaction between the prostitutes and migrant workers, the transfer rate of AIDS increases.
Status of Women
High dependency of male partners and low educational standard of female limits the female’s choice to determine their sexual relations. The female has no choice to determine their sexual relationship so it is very likely that the female will be at risk if the male has the disease. That’s why there are more female AIDS victims than male.
Denial
Governments in Africa refuse to see AIDS as a serious problem, and pay only little attention to it. African governments have shown little commitment in terms of allotting funds and establishing organization to fight against AIDS. Another problem is the taboo or stigma attach to AIDS promotes its invisibility in society. The continued social acceptability of extramarital sex and multiple partners puts increased numbers of individuals at risk. Beside that, there are no sexual education classes in schools to teach children about the dangers of AIDS and AIDS testing is not widely available in most countries.
Most affected area in Africa
The most affected area in Africa occurred at Sub Saharan African, particularly in southern Africa where Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Swaziland, the world’s top 3 AIDS infected country.
Reasons
How is the development of some of the world’s poorest countries going to be affected in the future?
The AIDS epidemic has a profound impact on economic growth, income and poverty. It’s estimated that the annual per capita growth in Sub Saharan Africa countries with HIV rates more than 20%, is falling by 0.5-1.2% as a result of AIDS. people at all income levels are vulnerable to the economic impact of AIDS, particularly the poor suffer the most as the epidemic is driving a cycle of impoverishment. AIDS pushes people deeper into poverty as household lose their breadwinners to AIDS, and saving are consumed by the cost of health cares and funeral.
One quarter of household in Botswana, where adult AIDS prevalence is 35%, can expect to lose an income earner in the next 10 years. Per capita household income for the poorest quarter of households is expected to fall by 13%. Households with AIDS patient, on average, spend 20 more times on health care annually than households without AIDS patient. Only a third household can manage to reach these extra costs.
Companies of all types face higher costs in training, insurance, benefits, absenteeism and illness. A survey of Ethiopia shows that over a five year period, 53% of illness among staff is AIDS related. There are many forecasts that health care costs increasing tenfold by a few years. This slows down the private sector development. AIDS is also reducing the ratio of healthy workers to dependant. Productivity growths are estimated to be cut as much as 50% in hard hit countries. Combined with erosion of human capital and loss of experience and skilled workers, this will result in a mismatch between human resource and labor requirement.
By killing mainly young people, AIDS seriously weakens a country’s tax base, and reduces its ability to finance expenditures. In this way, economic growth in long run will be intensified. As a result, national finances will come under will come under increasing pressure. Slower economic growth means slower growth of tax, and at the same time the governments have to face the growing demand to treat sick and care for orphans.
AIDS selectively destroys human capital, peoples accumulated life experience, their human and job skills, their knowledge and insights build over time. It’s primarily a disease of adults. As they progressively sick and week, they lose their ability to work. Eventually kill them, destroying the human capital built up though child bearing, education and experience.
In family homes, the quality of child bearing depends on parents’ human capital. If one or worse, both parents die when their children are still young, the transmission of knowledge and potential productivity capacity will be weakened. At the same time, the loss of income due to early death of parent reduces the resources available to the family, which may well result in the children spending less time at school.
Actions taken, examples
Over a last few years, World Bank has committed US 1.6 billion in grants, loans and credits for AIDS programs worldwide. At 2003, the bank had committed more than US 8 million to more than 23 African countries. All of the poorest countries in Africa are will receive grants from the World Bank. For middle income African countries, policy guidance and special initiatives will be given. Beside AIDS, World Bank is also funding for other diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.
Public education and awareness
Public awareness and education has previously been based on the “ABC”, Abstain, Be faithful, if you have sex, Condomized. Botswana has safe-sex billboard and posters everywhere to encourage people, but it’s unclear whether the people pay attention to it or not, because there hasn’t been much change to the peoples behavior. As a result, the government decided to target the right message to the right people. More than 100 episodes radio drama has been developed, dealing with AIDS related issues and encourage changes in behavior toward sex. Another initiative has involved workplace peer counseling, including the development, piloting and distribution of facilitator’s manual.
Youth education
Youth Health Organization (YOHO) is a youth run non-governmental organization that aims to provide young people sex education. AIDS related sex education at schools play an important role in educating young people, and the teaching materials have been developed for student by the Ministry of Education.
A teacher capacity building program has been developed by the Ministry of Education and the UNDP, in collaboration with the government of Brazil and ACHAP. This program aims to improve teachers’ knowledge on AIDS and break down cultural beliefs about sex and sexuality. It is hoped that this will promote free and informative discussion about AIDS.
Condom Distribution and education
There has been a success in social marketing of condoms, and this includes a launch for both male and female condoms and making condoms more commonly products. One of Botswana key marketing strategy for condom is peer education, with peer education being conducted in different places such as school, shopping malls, bar and workplace. Recently, a market research campaign carry out by ACHAP suggested a need for the increased marketing of condoms. In response, with the support of ACHAP, the government provided free condoms to the public.
