AIDS and its impact on development in Africa Athabasca University Name Date ? Content Description The condition of AIDS in Africa The impact of AIDS on economic development? Description The current condition of AIDS in Africa On September 23, 2013, the United Nations and the World Health Organization in London announced an annual report about the AIDS epidemic which the part related to Africa made people shocked. Similar to the condition in previous years is that South-Saharan Africa still remains the most serious afflicted area by AIDS in the world.
For example in 1998, the number of people who suffering from AIDS or infected with HIV had increased by 10 to 33. 4 million around the world, of which 22. 5 million were in Africa the newly added number of people living with HIV was 5. 8 million in worldwide, of which was 4 million Africans , accounting for 70 of total the deaths caused by AIDS in Africa reached to two million, which is occupied four fifths of the worlds total AIDS deaths in 1998 HIV prevalence rates of nine African countries are reached or over 10 percent, which are Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda,Sout h Africa.
Zambia and Zimbabwe Nine of ten 15 years of age children infected with HIV from Africa all over the world and at least 95 percent of AIDS orphans are from Africa since the first case of AIDS was discovered in the late 1970s, there were at least 34 million people in Africa are infected, of which 11. 50 million people have died, it is occupied 83 percent of totally AIDS death rate worldwide. In an overall perspective, Africa is the worlds worst continent affected by AIDS epidemic, but the specific situation is quite different in distinct regions. Situations of the East and South Africa are most serious where contain the worlds highest HIV infection rates countries. In the same time, the degree of HIV infection in West Africa is lighter.
Even Senegal received United Nations and the World Health Organizations recognition due to applied positive long-term unremitting preventive measures. However, situations in some countries are being concerned, such as in Cote dIvoire, one for every 10 adults has been infected with HIV.
By contrast, the situation of Central Africa is relatively stable, and North Africa has already become one of the worlds lowest rates of HIV prevalence areas, where only one person is infected per 1500 people. In conclusion the AIDS epidemic almost reaches to the point of loss of control in some African countries or regions with a dramatically high-speed increasing trend in Africa. This situation has affected the economic development and people social life in Africa deeply.
The impact of AIDS on economic development There has a comprehensive of impact of AIDS on African countrys economic development, the related aspects are from personal, home, also involves in a variety of economic organizations, communities, and also extended to the whole economic activities of community.
Firstly, from the Individual and family level, based on the social and economic relations, individual plays a variety of economic roles including consumers and producers. AIDS will possessed weaken individual production and consumption capacity, and then make him a disadvantageous economic position in the current competitive and cruel society. The biggest impact of Patients infected with HIV or AIDS on families is the treatments of disease will significant increase the financial burden on their families.
On the one hand, their domestic economy income will be significantly reduced if they lose or partial loss of ability to work On the other hand, AIDS patients required variety of special and expensive treatments, special food supply and medical care from family members or medical institutions would dramatically increase their familys costs. In early 1998, a survey for 544 farmers in Zimbabwe which is conducted by the German research institute indicated that corn yields from households who were infected with HIV was decreased 31percent in average, and there had a similar decline on production of cotton, peanuts and sunflower. (Phil Kwaramba, 1998).
Besides, due to the majority of HIV-infected people are adults, so the death of HIV will always cause the main labor force of a family will be taken away while the funeral cost is incredible high. According to the statistics, it is estimated that more than two million HIV infected family economic loss in Zimbabwe is more than 2 billion Zimbabwe Dollars in total. (Phil Kwaramba, 1998) Secondly, from economic organizations level, there has an unprecedented impact to their operating and profits from AIDS.
First, the invasion of AIDS cannot make company maintain stable employees, for example, in Zambia, Baltic Kress banks lost several very important department managers because of AIDS. And the company is 1 / 3 difficult to maintain the normal operation due to AIDS employees late and absenteeism often. Furthermore, the cost of company treatment fees that used to deal with the AIDS epidemic is increasing dramatically which have a seriously affect their economic interests.
In the same time, working ability of Employees is decreased significantly due to AIDS impacts on their body, which resulting in the both quantity and quality of services reducing provided by the company. Thirdly, from the community level, a serious economic burden caused by AIDS will also affect the development of the community. When the number of HIV-infected persons and AIDS patients rising, which means there also has an increase in poverty and poor families in the community. As a result, community have to provide economic assistance to them, and instability of family, rising crime rates and a variety of other negative phenomena will come out which is increase community spending, as a result the overall development of the community has affected.
The impact of AIDS on the entire countrys economic development is the sum of the impact on its individuals, families, each economic unit, and the community, but the real impact is more than the simply sum of these effects. There have different impact of AIDS on different levels of economic development countries. But it still has an opinion is admitted generally there has a direct impact on economic development speed among the worst AIDS epidemic countries. AIDS patients create little or no social wealth, but they have to consume several times as ordinary being social wealth.
In Uganda, Thomas Baba Todd from the United Nations Development Programme said, because of the AIDS epidemic, Uganda has already missed a five-year economic development plan while most of the other countries have a serious loss of 1. 3 years on average affected by the AIDS epidemic. One of the latest estimates related to South Africa demonstrated that since about a quarter of the workforce will be is affected by HIV, thus South Africas economic growth was reduced by 1.
At the same time, the progression of industrialization of Kenya was slow down due to AIDS. An estimate from the United Nations Development Programme also illustrate that the economic loss caused by AIDS had already exceed the sum of foreign aid obtained in some African countries. Another common point of AIDS impact on economic development in African countries affected is These countries have to bear the increasingly heavy budget caused by AIDS all the time.
The deputy of medical institutions in Kenya disclosed that currently 50 of the hospital beds are occupied by patients with AIDS-related in Kenya. In South Africa, Durban, 32 percent of total patients and had 50 percent of died patient are affected by AIDS in Jiyiwade hospital. (Tom Nevin 1998) In some African countries, there have to have a corresponding increase in the national budget while their health and medical systems have been overwhelmed. The budget for dealing with AIDS in South Africa is increased year by year the amount had reach to 66. 5 million rand in 1996 and 1997. (South Africa Yearbook 1998) However, these costs may not be enough to pay the fees of publicity, surveys, statistics, testing and research of the government.
In African countries, some impacts of AIDS on their economic development are direct, but may be more are indirect. For example, in Uganda, drivers is one of the largest group affected by AIDS, a 2006 World Bank survey showed that most drivers in Uganda are living with HIV. The study also illustrated that the increases in traffic accidents while the majority of the drivers are infected with HIV in Uganda in recent years.
Because of traffic accidents, Uganda would lose 5 percent of its annual GDP. Another example is tourism in Tanzania and other countries was hit hard due to the AIDS epidemic make visitors scared. The greater serious impact of AIDS on economic development of African countries will be reflected in the next period of time.
The general period of a person infected with HIV from developing into AIDS patients to death is 6 to 12 years, which means current millions of infected people in African countries will die in the about next 10 years. The average life expectancy had decreased from 64 years to 47 years among the nine highest incidence countries in African countries. In Botswana, the expected lifetime of new born children is only 40years old. A senior official of the United Nations said that AIDS has a more serious damage than the drought and apartheid in South Africa.
In 2010, the average life span of South Africa had shortened from 68 years to 48 years. (HIV/AIDS. 2012) December 1South Africa, Uganda, and Botswana, which is in better economic development situation, will be severely tested in the coming years. The 2 / 3 problem in Poor economic conditions countries affected by AIDS epidemic will be even more critical. It is estimated that in 2015, Kenyas GDP will be lower than in non-AIDS cases 15, thus it will cause a serious recession.
Nowadays, with the latest and effective but expensive cocktail therapy is being utilized in many European and American countries, mortality of AIDS patients was significant decreased while HIV infection rates is stabilized. However, thousands of dollars in treatment costs is still one of the most difficult obstacles to people in undeveloped African countries, obviously patients cannot afford the great of amount of money. Therefore, the best way to deal with AIDs is apply the disease prevention only in Africa, and the main target of this prevention is young people.
From the research above we can find that if people cannot curb the spread of AIDS effectively, then Africa will not only put an end to the current sustainable economy, but also it will be difficult to achieve the dream of revival of the current century. ?
Citation HIV/AIDS. 2012, December 1. Retrieved October 10, 2014. Rosalind J. Harrison, Monkey Business, New African, April 1998, p. 17. Ibid. p. 19. Phil Kwaramba, AIDS cripples Zimbabwe agriculture, New African, March 1998, p33. Crespo Sebunya, A IDS threat from Uganda taxi drivers, New African, April 1998, p.24.
William Onyango, Kenyas economy will be devastated by AIDS, New African, March 1998, p. 30. Tom Nevin, Will A IDS k ill Africas economy African Business, 1998 No. 230, p. 17. South Africa Yearbook 1998, ISSN 030220681, ed. Delien Burger. ECON366 v4? Assignment 5? June 21, 2013 Y, dXiJ(x(? I_TS 1EZBmU/xYy5g/GMGeD3Vqq8K)fw9 xrxwrTZaGy8IjbRcXI u3KGnD1NIBs RuKV. ELM2fi? V? vlu8zH (W uV4(Tn 7_m-UBww_8(/0hFL)7iAs),Qg20ppf DU4p MDBJlC5 2FhsFYn3E6945Z5k8Fmw-dznZ? xJZp/P,)KQk5qpN8KGbe Sd17? paSR 6Q POWERED BY TCPDF (WWW. TCPDF. ORG).