HIV/AIDS impact on economic growth in rural Africa

The Acquired Immodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic is viewed not only as a significant health concern throughout the world but also as a potential political and economic threat to development, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. From 1965 to 1995, Botswana went through a successful economic transformation in which real GDP grew at an average annual rate of about 12.5%. Over the past decade, however, development has been jeopardized due to the continuous threat of the AIDS epidemic. Research shows that HIV/AIDS in rural communities results in income loss, decreased worker productivity, and a deepening cycle of poverty. There is a strong association between the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and economic devastation. A majority of AIDS-related deaths are concentrated among people at their most productive working ages, and in an absence of this epidemic, prime-age deaths are rare in Africa. This has a number of economic implications. First, HIV/AIDS slows or reverses labor supply growth. Second, family savings are reduced due to increases in HIV/AIDS-related health expenditures and to decreases in worker productivity. Lastly, this epidemic deepens poverty levels of those already impoverished regions through decreasing the growth rate of per capita income, which will further impede progress in development. There is a need to integrate solutions to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in order to strengthen rural agriculture initiatives. By supporting rural agriculture systems, governments and international organizations can provide sustainable solutions not only to the devastation of HIV/AIDS but also to the impoverished communities of rural Africa.