The AIDS influence in Africas politic, economy and society

AIDS INFLUENCE IN AFRICAN POLITICS , ECONOMY , AND SOCIETY

The HIV /AIDS epidemic has been a major problem to countries of the world and especially Africa . By the year 2005 , there has been a recorded case of 25 million deaths and still an estimated 39 million of people living with HIV /AIDS . By that same 2005 , there was also a recorded case of 4 million people that was newly infected and 85 of them live in Africa While the sub-Saharan faces the highest case of HIV /AIDS , other regions of Africa , and the rest

of the world are not left out of the pandemic

In most recent surveys carried out , the national representatives have enabled the published amount of HIV /AIDS infected people to be reduced but the real number of infected people and their effects on various families , communities , countries , their economy , leadership and societies are staggering

A gloomy picture has been painted by the UNAID update on AIDS Crisis in Africa after more than two decade of fighting this epidemic . Studies show that , more that 26 million African live with AIDS and with South Africa having about 30 of the whole population living with HIV /AIDS in the world , this is about 2 of he world population

It has been noted that Africa is the only region that has more women infected with this virus than in men and they fall within the age group of 15 and 24 . It is also noted that less than 1 of the effected population have access to antiretroviral drugs for their life saving More than one percent of pregnant women live with this virus , increasing the chance of passing this infection to their unborn child . 95 of these pregnant women live in Africa having about 39 of them living in Botswana and Swaziland . The potential of this epidemic to increase in Africa in the forth-coming years is high and Africa tends to be in a lot of danger as the years roll by . With all this development , the issues of AIDS have influenced the African politic , economy and society in diverse ways and that is what we are going to look into

AIDS INFLUENCE ON AFRICAN POLITICS

HIV /AIDS is an epidemic in Africa that deserves the kind of mobilization and response that would even be necessary to go to war . History has been taken back to the time where African countries fought their liberation wars in other to gain their various independence . Yet , the political response to the issue of AIDS in Africa ahs been more or less inadequate and ineffective , though , in the past few years , the trends laid down has shown a positive side to the approach to HIV /AIDS

The situation on ground no shows that African leaders are making attempt in other to show the rest of the world that there are also in the fight against AIDS but it is still not enough . The influence of AIDS on African politics is that it has brought about some levels of commitment and avoidance to some leaders

There was great rate of silence that surrounded the issue of HIV /AIDS in the early 1990s in Africa . This was because there was no awareness that every adult was in danger in his or her sexual behaviors and they continued to indulge in unhealthy sexual behavior . This silence meant that they were limited public and private awareness on HV /AIDS and the continued dangers of those that has already been infected . The silence also meant that , political leaders were to slow to recognize the nature and rate of danger that their citizens where in and use available resources to fight the epidemic

An example of an important political commitment was the way Uganda addressed the issue of HIV /AIDS epidemic . There are bout 24 million people in eastern Africa and Uganda is preferably the only countries to have a steady decline in the prevalence of HIV /AIDS throughout the 1990s . There is lack of precision in estimating the prevalence but from 1990 till now , the rate of decline has reduced from 14 percent to 5 percent . It is only clear that what lead to this decrease is the change in sexual behavior . However , there is no specified reason to how the change was achieved but generally it was due to the dedication and works of their political leaders and other national practitioners that led to the open awareness on the danger of this infection that led to the change

HIV /AIDS has also decreased the strength of some democratic governments giving space for the military to come into power "When life expectancy falls from 65 to 33 " Ostergard said "the ability to maintain the bureaucratic structure decreases . This may encourage the military to step in when civilian government appears too weak to govern effectively In Ethiopia , Angola , and South Africa , militaries have expressed concern about budget cuts

A new study shows that the issue of HIV /AIDS is affecting the democracy in Africa . It is known that some public officials are dying of this infection faster than they can be replaced . Politics is been affected in Africa because , some prominent citizens that are great value to the Africa 's development are dying thereby affecting it developments . The most significant is that of South Africa , where most of their leaders are dyeing prematurely due to one sickness or the other . The reasons for heir deaths are covered and denied but clear study of the before and after the epidemic show that AIDS is the main cause

Let us look at Zambia as a case study . From 1964 to 1984 , 10 of their by elections were a as result of death of public office holders and in the next ten years , 60 of their by elections were also because of deaths . There would be no possible cause of this than to point fingers at AIDS as the major cause

Malawi as another example admitted that the death of 28 public office holders were AIDS related

With these studies , it is seen that AIDS is decimating the most important , professional and productive part of Africa , having what is call a silent impact on their their leadership and development of African politics and development

The issue of AIDS has influenced the rate of dedication among some other leader making the leaders of ten African nation to declare HIV /AIDS as a national disaster . There are now calls to increase the intensity and coordinated effort of fighting this infection in Africa . There are now seeing the magnitude of what HIV can do . This clear picture states the political attitude towards this epidemic in Africa

Some off the commitment promised by these leaders are

The provision of good leaderships that would aid a better provision of resources to the fighting of this epidemic

There would also be provision of better response and creation of favorable policies and legal environment

Making the issue of HIV /AIDS as a major priority in all developmental works in communities , regions and every other part of the nations

Showing great support and assisting all programmed cause that would create the awareness of the dangers of AIDS . This is to change the sexual behaviors of their citizen

To encourage all forms of dialogue on issues concerning HIV /AIDS and would show great support to those that have been affected with HIV /AIDS

There would also encourage all forms of relevant research on HIV /AIDS and seeking the better ways of implementing their discoveries

Apart from all moves to fight this epidemic , African leaders are now seeking support from international communities to aid them fight it

AIDS INFLUENCE ON AFRICAN ECONOMY

Looking at the economic effect of HIV /AIDS in Africa , we are seeing that that it is substantial and the policies that are pulled out for it may be controversial . One of the issues that are looked into is the targeting of antiretroviral drug for an economically productive people Economic theorists and researchers are looking into how economic theory can contribute to the response on HIV /AIDS

Apart from heart disease , stroke , and acute lower respiratory infection HIV /AIDS has been declared the fourth world largest killer . This was because of the 3 million deaths in 2001 caused by AIDS . More that seventy percent of the 70 million HIV /AIDS infected people are living in Africa and apart from the losses due to mortality rate HIV /AIDS has an enormous effect on the economic development of Africa coupled with her ability to cope with the pandemic . Despite the fact that the have been recorded documentations of the effect of HIV /AIDS in Africa , it is still more difficult to study the economic effect of HIV /AIDS on Africa as a whole and also how it might affect the economy in the nearest future Nevertheless , there are need to study the broader effect on the economy so as to form policies that would provide effective response

NEED TO STUDY THE ECONOMIC EFFECT OF HIV /AIDS

Researches done on HIV /AIDS assists in the estimation of the economic effect of HIV /AIDS on Africa , the effectives of the cost of preventive and treatment programmes

Economic theory has shown that HIV /AIDS causes the reduction of labor force both in supply and in productivity , causes a reduction of exports and increases import

The influence of HIV /AIDS is causing the reduction of Africa 's economy by 2 -4 every year

Economic measures along with prevention and treatment programmes are needed as major keys to the reduction of the economic effect of HIV /AIDS on Africa

ECONOMIC EFFECTS

Reduced labor supply

The issue of reduced labor supply has a great effect on the level of labor supply through mortality and morbidity rates . Reduced labor supply

Has affected the loss of major professional skills that are necessary for production in major sectors . In South Africa , for example , around 60 of the mining workforce is aged between 30 and 44 years in 15 years this is predicted to fall to 10 (R Elias , University of Botswana personal communication , 2000 ) and it is discovered in South African health care system that 20 percent of their nurses are HIV positive

Reduced labor productivity

The long period of sickness that arises due to HIV /AIDS reduces the level of productivity of the labor force . Studies done on a Kenyan car manufacturing company shows that the cost of HIV /AIDS sickness and effect on productivity rose from 17 to 300 per employee . With this cost , you would agree with me that there would be a great reduction both in competitiveness and in profit . On the part of the government , their income will decline because the revenue collected from tax will reduced there would be forced to spend more in other to deal with the rising prevalence of HIV /AIDS . This of course will cause a fiscal crisis

Reduced exports and increased imports

HIV /AIDS causes a reduction in the level of productivity and the decrease I productivity will reduce the rate of export and increase the rate of imports . Theses imports will be expensive healthcare products that will be used for fighting the prevalence of HIV /AIDS . The cause of this decline is because of the effect of HIV /AIDS on the working force An example of this is that effect of mining workers in South Africa When all this happens , expenditures for imports and exports will come under pressure and same goes for the governments budget . All these would cause some form of defaults in debt payment and will make the country to seek economic assistance from the international community

Quantifying the impact

Combining all these effects and checking the impacts on African economy is a complex task . Nevertheless , to calculate the level of performance in the economy , economist have use one measure and that is average income or GDP (gross domestic product , per capita

In general , economists have used regression analysis to estimate the impact of the prevalence of HIV on the rate of growth of GDP per capita This is done while there are controls on other factors that might affect growth . The result from all these studies on the effect of growth on GDP , per capita shows that it would be substantially negative . More recent studies how that there would be greater effects while the results of the most recent studies also shows that HIV /AIDS has reduced the growth rates of countries in Africa by an average rage of 2 -4

Summary of studies of the economic impact of HIV /AIDS in Africa

While this looks on the economic effect of HIV /AIDS in Africa , it also clarifies the relationship between them in a simplified version There is a general assumption that people can move from one type of job to another but this assumption may underestimate the impact of HIV /AIDS on level of production . This is because the replacement of skilled labor is a very slow and expensive task and it is not easy to shift labor from one sector to another as a cause of response to shortage of labor . In 1992 Kambou et al , assessed the impact on Cameroon 's economy of changes in the skill composition of the labor force resulting from the HIV /AIDS epidemic . They concluded that reduced availability of skilled labor would reduce growth rates by about 50 and investment by 75 , that imports of food and other basic products would increase , and that exports of manufactured and other products would decline . More recently Arndt and Lewis estimated that by 2010 South Africa 's GDP per capita will be some 8 lower and consumption per capita will be about 12 lower than would have been the case without the HIV /AIDS pandemic (Arndt C et . al

AIDS INFLUENCE ON AFRICAN SOCIETY

The sub-Saharan part of Africa is the most affected part of HIV /AIDS in the whole part of the world . Studies done in 2007 shows that there are more than 23 million people living with the virus and it has claimed more than 2 million lives and more than eleven million children have been orphaned by HIV /AIDS

It is about now that the issue of HIV /AIDS is becoming a crisis in African countries due to the increase number of illness cause by the epidemic . Apart from the preventive , treatment , and care measures taken on this epidemic , there is also a high expectancy for the prevalence of HIV /AIDS in sub-Saharan regions . The social and economic influence is felt in all most all areas of the African societies . Together with the health sectors , other sector that is affected is education , industry agriculture , transport , human resources and the economy in general

What are the impacts of AIDS on African Societies

There have been increased reports on the mortality rates in Africa because of HIV /AIDS . This death causes the loss of loved one and reduction of the labor force . So much effort has been put to increasing the life expectancy in Africa but HIV /AIDS interferes with the progress of this course . There are millions of adults dying at a young age

The severity of HIV /AIDS on families are great because many of them are losing their breadwinner to this virus and even the income earners might want to stay at home to take care of the HIV /AIDS infected relative Many people that die leave behind their surviving partners that will also need care . Some of them leave behind their orphans who would now be struggling to survive with the virus without the care of their parents

The issue of HIV /AIDS is putting a major strain to the health sector of every African country because as the rate of infection increase so does the rate of care and this is an expensive task

The school system is also an affected part of Africa but also the major means of educating and supporting the young minds about the epidemic which helps to fight the prevalence of HIV /AIDS

The effect of HIV /AIDS on labor and economy affects the societal and social progress in countries . The loss of labor force has brought about the increase in the rate of poverty . This is because of the death of income earners and apart from their death sickness would make them weak and reduces their rate production . It has also increase the mode of spending in families in other to take care of their sick family members

The fear of HIV /AIDS is like the beginning of wisdom for some people because it is causing a change in the sex behavior of some African societies . There are now informed of the tendency of this epidemic and their knowledge was because of the awareness program made available to them in their various communities by their government . The change in sex behavior has resulted to the increase and safe use of condoms for both affected people and the non-affected . Some of them have also made it mandatory to check their HIV status from time to time . This is to aid an early management and prevent the transfer to their partners

REFERENCES

Dixon S , McDonald S , Roberts J . 2001 . AIDS and economic growth in Africa : a panel data analysis . J Int Dev 13 :411-426

Kambou G , Devarajan S , Over M . 1992 . The economic impact of AIDS in an African country : simulations with a computable general equilibrium model of Cameroon . J Afr Economies 1 :109-130

Soderlund N , Lavis J , Broomberg J , Mills A . 1993 . The costs of HIV prevention strategies in developing countries . Bull World Health Organ 71 :595-604 . [PubMed]

WHO (17th April 2007 , Towards Universal Access : Scaling up priority HIV /AIDS interventions in the health sector

Nwokoji UA , Ajuwon AJ (2004 ) Knowledge of AIDS and HIV risk-related sexual behavior among Nigerian naval personnel . BMC Public Health 4 :24

Peter R . Lamptey , Jami L . Johnson , and Marya Khan . 2006 . The Global Challenge of HIV and AIDS , Population Bulletin 61 , no . 1 : 8-9

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