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The Impact of HIV/AIDS in Africa: Special Report by Abdoulaye Dieng Sarr, PharmD, DSc.

December 4, 2006

With the passing of World AIDS Day this Friday, the IIJD would like to call to attention the devastating impact that HIV/AIDS plays in the livelihood and development in Africa. Presented is an abstract of a report titled “The Impact of HIV/AIDS in Africa” by Dr. Abdoulaye Dieng Sarr, a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Sarr attended the 2006 ICSAA and made a significant contribution to the conference findings and resolutions of the African development crisis. Dr. Sarr’s full report is available online provided by the url link at the end of this article.

Abstract: HIV and AIDS have already had a significant impact and caused a vast amount of human suffering in Sub-Saharan Africa, the region of the world that is most heavily affected by the AIDS pandemic. Nearly two-thirds of all HIV positive people live in this area, although it contains little more than 10% of the world’s population. The impact of the epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa has been wide reaching and has not been confined to the health sector. Households, education, workplaces and the economy have been affected among other sections of society. During 2005 alone, an estimated 2 million adults and children died as a result of AIDS in Sub- Saharan Africa. Since the beginning of the epidemic, more than 15 million Africans have died from AIDS.

The effect of HIV/AIDS has a profoundly large effect on human capital and public services in Africa. The health field is strained both by the influx of large numbers of HIV/AIDS patience and the depletion of health care workers by the disease itself. These together oftentimes prevent patients from getting proper care for all illnesses, including Malaria and Tuberculosis, other significant killers.

The toll of HIV/AIDS on households can be very severe. It is often the poorest sectors of society that are most vulnerable to the epidemic and for whom the consequences are most severe. In many cases, the presence of AIDS means that the household will dissolve, as parents die and children are sent to relatives for care and upbringing. AIDS strips families of their assets and income-earners, further impoverishing the poor. Also, as parents and family members become ill, children take on more responsibility to earn an income, produce food and care for family members. It is harder for these children to access adequate nutrition, basic health care, housing and clothing.

The relationship between AIDS and the education sector is circular – as the epidemic worsens, the education sector is damaged, which in turn is likely to increase the incidence of HIV transmission. There are numerous ways in which AIDS can affect education, but equally there are many ways in which education can help the fight against AIDS. A decline in school enrolment is one of the most visible effects of the epidemic. This will in itself have an effect on HIV prevention, as a good basic education ranks among the most effective and cost-effective means of preventing HIV. Additionally, HIV/AIDS affects the population of teachers in Africa and sick- teacher absenteeism interferes with class schedules and the academic achievement of youth.

AIDS weakens economic activity by squeezing productivity, adding costs, diverting productive resources, and depleting skills. Company costs for health-care, funeral benefits and pension fund commitments are likely to rise as the number of people taking early retirement or dying increases. Also, as the impact of the epidemic on households grows more severe, market demand for products and services can fall. The abilities of African countries to diversify their industrial base, expand exports and attract foreign investment are integral to economic progress in the region. The vast majority of people living with HIV in Africa are between the ages of 15 and 49 - in the prime of their working lives. By making labor more expensive and reducing profits, AIDS limits the ability of African countries to attract industries that depend on low-cost labor and makes investments in African businesses less desirable.

Although both international and domestic efforts to overcome the crisis have been strengthened in recent years, the epidemic is showing no signs of diminishing; the people of sub-Saharan Africa will continue to feel the affects of HIV/AIDS for years to come. It is clear that as much as possible needs to be done to minimize his impact.