Economic impact of HIV/AIDS on rural households in KwaDlangezwa
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Date
2012
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Abstract
This study investigates the economic impacts of HIV/AIDS on the rural households in KwaDlangezwa. The study also investigates the hypothesis that Aids has massive economic impact on families infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. At the level of the household, AIDS results in the loss of income, assets, savings and an increase in spending on health care by the households. HIV/AIDS epidemic slows down the pace of economic growth. UNAIDS (2009) estimated that the number of people living with HIV worldwide continued to grow in 2008, reaching an estimated 33.4 million (31.1 million–35.8 million). The total number of people living with the virus in 2008 was more than 20% higher than the number in 2000, and the prevalence was roughly threefold higher than in 1990.
South Africa is one of the countries most severely affected by the AIDS epidemic, with the largest number of HIV infections in the world. UNAIDS estimated that in 2009, the total number of persons living with HIV in South Africa was 5.7 million. South Africa’s generalised HIV epidemic is defined as being hyper-endemic due to the high rate of HIV prevalence and the modes and drivers of HIV transmission. Heterosexual sex is recognized as the predominant mode of HIV transmission in the country followed by mother-to-child transmission, and drivers of the epidemic include migration, low perceptions of risk, and multiple concurrent sexual partnership (UNAIDS, 2010).
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The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a global concern of every country in the world particularly, in most African countries where the spread of the virus is increasing at an alarming rate. Coupled with other socio economic and political problems such as poverty, high fertility, low literacy and, the incidence of HIV/AIDS in most African countries like South Africa is becoming a serious challenge. The rural households are the most affected because of the lack of service delivery.
Data is collected using quantitative and qualitative method. Quantitative results are in consensus with qualitative results. Results reveal that seventy one percent (71%) of the respondents believe that AIDS has a negative impact on the level of income, and fifty seven percent (57%) of the respondents believe that AIDS has negative impact on assets and household members who are infected with HIV/AIDS do not get any assistance. The overall results reveal that HIV/AIDS has negative economic impact on the rural household in KwaDlangezwa.
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Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Commerce in the Department of Economics, Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012.
Keywords
HIV/Aids -- economic impact --KwaZulu-Natal