HIV/AIDs have become a global threat against humanity in such a short time. The shocks of HIV AIDS are being felt all over the world. In countries hardest hit by the epidemic, morbidity and mortality have risen and are expected to rise in the foreseeable future, changing the demographic structure of households and taking a heavy toll on resources and assets. Kristofferson (2011) states that the impact of the epidemic cuts across all levels of society resulting in human insecurity. The HIV epidemic is destroying the traditional social security mechanisms that have been providing support for centuries to the elderly and the orphaned children (Qamar 2011).
The epidemic is threatening the very existence of human society in all parts of the world. Besides being a health issue, the epidemic has social and economic consequences which can create national crises. For it has an implication on food security, health security, and for the ability of national health systems to cope with large numbers of seriously ill and weakened people. HIV/AIDs have caused premature and unnecessary loss of life hence some scholars would like to say it is the greatest insecurity in life.
The threats of HIV/AIDS far outnumber the threat posed to individuals by armed conflict. The impact of HIV/AIDS on Africa is already devastating and has widespread social, economic, political, as well as peace and security ramifications with these implications in mind; the writer is therefore going to critically assess HIV/AIDs as a factor in human insecurity. Assessment shall also focus on its implications on economic, food, community, political, health security as well the gender perspective. World statistics on HIV/AIDS Currently, every region of the world has a significant number of people living with HIV/AIDs- making the illness a pandemic rather than just an epidemic.
It’s among the worst pandemics to have confronted mankind. Globally, HIVAIDS ranks among the five most frequent causes of death. The shock of HIV/AIDS is most alarming in Africa. In sub Saharan Africa it is the leading cause of deaths of adults. WHO report 2004 states that AIDS has become the leading cause of deaths among 15-59 year olds in the world. Hence the pandemic has become one for the greatest direct contemporary human security threats affecting the survival of human beings from all angles.
In today’s world individuals are in many parts of the world are being threatened everyday by growing range of more pervasive non- military threats one of which is the subject under discussion. According to UNAIDs (2002), approximately 40 million people are living with HIV or have AIDS. In 2005 alone, an estimated 3. 1 million people died of AIDs related illnesses and approximately 5 million persons became infected with HIV.
Those who fail to access anti-retroviral drugs die within a 3- 45565775 decade. As if, not enough, UNAIDS estimates that around 25 million lives have been claimed by the pandemic.
DIRECT AND INDIRECT THREATS OF HIV/AIDS TO HUMAN SECURITY Kristofferson highlights two dimensions to HIV/AIDS and human security that are threat to socio economic development and threat to human survival.
Individual health is one factor which has evolved during these times when the traditional concept of human security is being given a priority. The World health organisation has pointed out that around the world more than six hundred thousand people every day are infected with HIV and the epidemic is becoming worse. Kristofferson (2011) cites that several leaders have defined the epidemic as a threat to global security as a catastrophe. He further state that in Botswana 35% of adults are infected and 25% in both Swaziland and Zimbabwe.
The disease has claimed a lot of lives and capability of an individual to survival has been greatly undermined. HIV/AIDS besides affecting the individual lives through illness; it has a host of wider and more indirect human security ramifications as shall be discussed below. Impact on Economic Security Economicsecurityisoneofthemostimportantcomponentsofhumansecurity affectedby HIV/AIDS. The illness is thought to have a negative economic impact on individual, family, and national income in the worse affected states.
Elbe (2011) cited an example of Malawi,where a study carried out showed that by 2010, Malawian real GDP could be as much as 10% lower than that it would have been in the absence of AIDS epidemic. The epidemic has not only affected the very young and old but the economically productive segments of the population and the economic elites. Elbe (2011) added that there are increased absentees, and additional recruitment and training of new personnel to the replace the sick or deceased personnel. As the diseases increase, macro-economic growth is also affected by changing patterns in government expenditure.
Government are therefore forced to spent more on social and health care provisions, trying to curb the disease, there is a shift from profitable investment resources. According to Waal (2011), by 2010 South Africa is estimated that its economy will be 22% smaller than it would have been without HIV/AIDS and the implications will be felt in the continent. He added that in Malawi, the HIV/AIDS have contributed to recent food crisis. The situation is worse in most African countries like Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Botswana where most sectors are hard hit and government have resource constrains.
Not only is HIV/AIDS the leading killer of adults in Africa, it is also 4- 45565775 further entrenching poverty, weakening the productive capacities of countries, overwhelming already over-extended healthcare systems, and threatening both national and continental security (Qamar 2011) . Households affected by HIV/AIDS are likely to experience a reduced earning capacity and decreased productivity as persons are unable to work, or tied down to caring for the affected family member. A study carried out in Coted’ivoire found that the proportion of the household budget spent on medical expenses in household affected by HIV/AIDS was twice as much as in unaffected households (Elbe 2011).
HIV AIDS has important indirect effects that threaten the ability of individuals and households to provide the minimal material levels of income required for their survival, or for the survival of their dependents. In short countries are losing billions of dollar annual because economic production and state revenues are declining, while needs for healthcare and social benefits increase, leading to further impoverishment of the citizens.
Impact on food security In as far as food security is concerned HIV/AIDS generate food insecurities not only byaffecting th e production of agricultural goods, but it can also further skew the access of certain individuals and groups to food. According to Waal (2011), AIDS attacks exactly those capacities that enable people to resist famine. Elbe (2011) highlights that countries like Kenya Malawi, Rwanda, and Burkina Faso have all experienced immense AIDS related decreases in the amount of cultivated land, cash crops, and the available agricultural labour force. Ancker (2007) in addition to the above cites that in agricultural societies, HIV/AIDS threatens the productivity of the fields.
If workers become ill, the planting process is disrupted and harvests are endangered. In such situations, many farmers may decide to shift from cash crops like cotton to less resource and labour-intensive subsistence farming like fruits and vegetables. Qamar (2011) also states that a large number of people affected by HIV/AIDS in Sub Saharan Africa are directly or indirectly engaged into farming. Their farming activities are distracted by the negative impacts of HIV/AIDS worsening supply of farm labour resulting in food insecurity and poverty. Farmer also ends up shifting from export crops to food crops, which will reduce national export earnings over the long term.
Qamar (2011) further state the result will be deepening and expanding of poverty, increasing shortage of farm labour, drastic food shortages and increase vulnerability to the epidemic due to increased poverty and food insecurity. Qamar (2011:787) says “this is a vicious circle 5- 45565775 beginning with the start of the HIV infection of some persons and ending with infection of more people” Impact on Community security The extent to which HIV/AIFS has affected community security is reflected particularly with regards to orphans, many of whom must fend for them without family support.
Elbe (2011) cites that the epidemic is already thought to have orphaned some 14 million children, 11 million of whom are in sub Saharan Africa. The children are further exposed to stigma of the illnesses and are more vulnerable to malnutrition, illnesses, abuse and sexual exploitation. As a result families have been destroyed, resulting in people being removed from their communities, like in the case of 30 000 inhabitants of Vista Hermosa who were forced to take HIV tests, and subsequently those who tested positive were forced out of their homes (Elbe 2011).
This displacement can have detrimental impact for these people as they become isolated from their social support networks and places of employment. Waal (2011) states that the number of children orphaned are 12 million and there is a sharp increase placing a burden of extended families. Elbe (2011) cites that these army of uneducated and socially- abandoned orphans, are as well likely to turn to risky behaviour and criminal activities which have a negative impact on community security. Further assessing the pandemic as a factor in human insecurity, people living with HIV/AIDS around the world face severe abuse, some of which turns violent. Such insecurity in some case can lead to the premature death of persons who are infected.
(Elbe 2011) gives an example of Gugu Dlamini who died after being inflicted by her neighbours in the outskirts of Durban South Africa, after she revealed her HIV positive status on World Aids Day. In most cases women are the victims of such stigma and torture Impact on political security HIV/AIDS also as factor of human insecurity is placing additional stresses on political communities because it affects political elites, police force, representatives of the justice system and government bureaucrats at a time when their skills are needed most.
Ancker (2007) highlights that with HIV-infected police and military forces, states lose their ability to defend themselves against both internal and external threats. Sick troops are incapable of protecting state territory or participating in a conflict resolution. The perception of one state’s weakened defence may trigger another state to invade it or take hostile actions. Thus, weak 6- 45565775 militaries contribute to the national instability and create potential turbulence between states, which may have a destabilizing effect on the rest of the international system.
Elbe(2011) adds that some of the key players such as judges, prosecutors, court clerks and lawyers, in maintaining the rule of law and socio political stability are heavily affected hence undermining the political institutions of communities. In southern Africa this has also posed serious political schisms as decisions are made on the access to life prolonging medicines, leading to unmanageable pressures on social and political structures threatening the stability of regimes. The impact of HIV/AIDS on Africa has widespread social, economic, political, as well as peace and security ramifications.
HIV/AIDS directly threatens the security, viability and prosperity of a nation. Gender Perspective of HIV/AIDS as a human insecurity As highlighted earlier on that more than 70% of the world population living with HIV are in Sub Saharan Africa, women are the majority of those infected. In as far as the issue of gender and HIV/AIDS is concerned; Kristofferson (2011) cites that women and girls are affected in a special way in all aspects of human security (economic, food, health, political, personal security). This is basically due to the social, economic and political inequalities that already exist between men and women as well as physical, emotional and material differences.
Women have higher risks of being exposed and infected by HIV/AIDS and the whole household would be at risk. Kristofferson (2011) cites that if she is infected, the family generate less income resulting in increased vulnerability of children of that household and girls are likely to suffer more as they can drop out of school and also forced to care for the sick. In countries with conflicts and wars women and girls are also at high risk as they are exposed to coercive sex. Issues of HIV/AIDS and gender need to be dealt with critical when issues of human security are to be addressed.
Challenges HIV/AIDS is recognised as a key challenge to the development of the continent and, as such, a threat to human security. Sustainable development can be difficult to achieve because HIV/AIDS is a primary impediment to achieving this goal. Africa remains with the challenge of limited resources and political will to address the pandemic in multi sectorial approach. Very few governments have the capacity to fight against the epidemics such as HIV/AIDS. The scourge of HIV/AIDS in Africa is a symptom of deeper socio-economic and development problems.
Some of the challenges in addressing HIV/AIDS include the lack of 7- 45565775 adequate resources and political will. While the disease is devastating economies, a lack of comprehensive initiatives aimed at addressing the relationship between poverty, gender inequality and HIV are hampering responses to the epidemic. The challenge remains, however, for African countries to meet the political and economic obligations of human security. Conclusion In a nutshell, HIV/AIDS poses a direct threat to human life and well-being and the epidemic also threatens the socio-economic development of any given country.
Elbe(2011) highlights that the epidemic has direct and indirect human security implications and it ranks among the gravest human security challenges the twenty first century confronts hence the need for a more detailed consideration of this greatest challenges to human security. The human security approach allows for a useful shift of emphasis in those countries where the state has largely abandoned, or become sufficiently removed from the wider needs of its population with. HIV/AIDS threatens human security on several levels as highlighted in the above discussion.
While pandemic has security threats, there measures that nation states can take to reverse,slow down, and prevent the situation of the disease. Otherwise the debate about human security is incomplete when issues about HIV/AIDs are not considered. Therefore, one can boldly conclude that HIV/AIDS and global insecurity co-exist in a vicious cycle.
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Pretoria: University of South Africa 3. Kristofferson, U 2011: HIV/AIDS as a human security issue :Gender Perspective ,a reader, compiled by K Sentime. Volume2. Pretoria: University of South Africa 4. Qamar. M. K (2011) Facing the challenge of an HIVI/AIDS epidemic: Agricultural extension services in Sub- Saharan Africa, a reader, compiled by K Sentime. Volume2. Pretoria: University of South Africa 5. UNAIDS (2002) Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic; Geneva 6. Waal. D (2011) AIDS related national crises’ in Africa, a reader, compiled by K Sentime. Volume2. Pretoria: University of South Africa 9- 45565775.