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Analysis of HIV/AIDS Effects on Food Security at the Household Level

This analysis explores the impact of HIV/AIDS on food security at the household level, focusing on the economic context and the effects on poorer households. It also discusses the compounded effects of drought and HIV/AIDS in specific economic contexts.

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Analysis of HIV/AIDS Effects on Food Security at the Household Level

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  1. Food Economy Analysis & the effect of HIV/AIDS on food security at the household level

  2. For instance, in Makueni, Kenya, households at the top end of the wealth breakdown…. ...are key to the food security of those at the bottom end. The rural and household economic context determines how HIV/AIDS will affect food security at the household level.

  3. Increases in HIV Infection in Makueni District Data from the district health office suggests a clear upward trend in infections. So far, most of these have been among richer households.

  4. The poor face an increasing food deficit when the rich no longer have the money to hire them. As expenditure on health goes up, money for hiring labor decreases. But when HIV/AIDS affects richer households in Makueni, poorer households suffer considerable consequences. Sources of food for poor households

  5. The Makueni case challenges assumptions about targeting assistance to AIDS-afflicted individuals One family’s problem quickly becomes the village’s problem.

  6. Poor income for purchasing food in Siavonga is not linked to richer households like it was in Makueni. Instead, it is linked to the road. In Siavonga, Zambia, poor households rely on road traffic between Zambia & Zimbabwe for much of their cash income. Sources of Food: A good year

  7. This puts them at higher risk of contracting HIV/AIDS…. …and also directly affects their ability to continue earning income when they get sick.

  8. But the problem isn’t limited to poor households coping with sick members. These households also have to live with: • increasing demands from additional members • periodic drought or production problems

  9. Poor households can cope with taking on the burden of two more dependents in a good year…. Effect of two additional dependents What is happening to households that take in orphans from households where both parents have died of AIDS? Poor household sources of food: A good year

  10. …and if one of the household heads becomes sick, the deficit will become even bigger. …a chronically-ill parent results in a significant loss of income. The household no longer has the means to cover its food needs. The cash to purchase food comes from labor-intensive activities... …but with a 70% drop in production, the household starts to face a food shortage….

  11. When poorer households lose half their income and expenditure on health increases, they can no longer afford to meet basic needs. • With a loss of income and increasing health costs, poor households will no longer have enough cash for • sufficient food • school • household basics • clothes • emergencies

  12. It is important to understand the compounded effects of HIV/AIDS & drought in a specific economic context… …and to look beyond food aid as the only humanitarian/emergency response.

  13. IMPLICATIONS FOR DECISION-MAKERS Targeting assistance to AIDS-affected households needs to start with an understanding of just who IS affected by the disease - directly and indirectly. Prevention campaigns need to consider which economic activities put poor households at greatest risk and focus their outreach accordingly. In Makueni, it is important to know that for every ‘rich’ household that gets sick…. In Siavonga, poor households send girls to sell milk or vegetables at the border…. … they can make up to 3 times as much engaging in prostitution. ...at least five poor households’ access to food will diminish. Drought-affected areas tend to coincide with low income areas - low income areas tend to see households engaging in higher-risk activities. Emergency assistance providers need to understand the compounded effects of natural shocks and HIV/AIDS when planning drought relief campaigns.

  14. The cost of HIV/AIDS-related prevention & mitigation activities needs to be weighed against the multiple costs of taking no action. Food aid to 40% of Africa’s population could cost upwards of 50 billion USD annually. Vs The cost of effective AIDS prevention campaigns. The cost of development Vs initiatives aimed at reducing economic drivers of high-risk employment. 80% infection rates among tested mothers in Chokwe District, Mozambique (Nov, 2000). The lost productivity of a generation caught in a knowledge gap. Vs The cost of generic Antiretroviral drugs.

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