Social+Impact+of+AIDS-+SP11


 * __The Social Impact of AIDS__**

The AIDS epidemic has a major social impact all around. It affects anything basic necessities to life expectancy. As the high demand for care for people living with HIV/AIDS rises, so does the effect of the life-taking illness on health care workers and the strain on hospitals.More than half of the hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa are taken with those who have the HIV/AIDS virus. As the number of patients rise, there is talk of not having the supplies to house all of them in the hospital, causing a great strain on hospitals. In many underprivileged African countries, the bed shortage results many to be admitted when they are in the late-stages of the disease, which highly reduces their chances of recovery. Health-care professionals are directly affected by this infectious disease. There has been seen a great decrease in the workforce in health care due to the epidemic. For example, Botswana lost 17% of it's workers between 1999-2005 (Impact of HIV/AIDS in Africa). Nearly half of midwives were announced HIV-positive. It doesn't help that these healers are very hard to come by in most areas. The factors that contribute to this shortage are excessive workloads, poor pay, and migration to richer countries. There has been a recent increase in the provision antiretroviral drugs, which help to slow the affects of the deadly disease. This new treatment brings hope to many in the African continent, however it also contributes to the strain on the health care workers and the hospitals.



__**Household**__ Usually the poorest sectors of society are greater subjected to AIDS, for which it is most severe, although all walks of society are affected. This results in families disintegrating, causing children to become orphans when some parents become prey to the disease. In some households the primary worker has become infected with HIV/AIDS, therefore they cannot work. This has serious effects on the family. In some cases children have to quit school so they can help out, which then leads to an uneducated society. Also, many times a women will be forced to work in prostitution to raise more money for their family. This can lead to higher risk of receiving HIV/AIDS. Studies show that is South Africa, families that are caring for a sick family member are less likely to go out and buy the many basic necessities because they don't have the money to do so. As a result of the epidemic, there have been food shortages--neglected and abandoned crops due to the illnesses. Not only do single households get affected, but so do the agricultural outputs, which diminish greatly. In some cases, there is an estimated 20% drop in the agricultural workforce as a result. Although, some food production depends on which sex (as head of household) has died, for it can vary. For example, a death of a male can reduce the product of coffee, tea, and sugar (also known as "cash crops"), whereas when a woman dies, necessary crops needed for survival and grain are dramatically reduced (Impact of HIV/AIDS in Africa). As well as a major strain on resources, an emotional strain is seen from household members taking care of an ill person. Affected households of AIDS are only pushed deeper into poverty due to loss of income, care-related expenses, the reduced ability of caregivers to work, and mounting medical fees. Nearly one-third of a households' income is taken monthly for this care needed for patients. Some African families spend seven times their monthly income on funeral expenses, which can set them back even further. Improperly tended funeral insurance plans contribute to loss of other saving plans and health insurance of those left behind.

__**Impact on children**__ The children that are forced to bear the trauma and hardship of being affected by HIV/AIDS not only causes them to lose family and possibly even their parents, but also their childhood. If a member of the family becomes ill, children are more responsible to earn income, produce food, and also care for the sick person. As a result of the epidemic, many children have become orphans, becoming placed in the homes of their extended family to be raised or continue on their own. We have seen a jump in institutional care for children, but this is also detrimental and expensive. Aids orphans are a big problem that has been faced in Sub-Sahara Africa. Every 8 out of 10 children who's parents have died from Aids live in Sub-Sahara Africa. Also over the past decade, the percentage of children who have been orphaned due to Aids killing off their families has risen from 3.5% to 32%. These numbers are going to continue rising as Aids spreads unchecked. [|AIDS orphans]

__**Impact on education sector**__ As the AIDS epidemic continues to get worse, education is damaged, which creates the hazard of an increase in HIV transmission. Although the virus can damage it, education can also help raise awareness and fuel the fight to end AIDS. Even though education is effective in preventing HIV/AIDS, many children are not getting enrolled in basic education that is detrimental. Families that don't receive an income cannot enroll their child or children in school because of the fees and other expenses. A result of little or no education is that young people are twice as likely to contract the disease. Along with an inadequate supply of teachers, in South Africa nearly 21% of teachers within the ages of 25-34 are living with the disease. These whom are affected have to take time off of work because they are sick, and when this happens the class may be untaught or join with other classes. Teachers that have to leave is devastating in rural areas because there are very few teachers and some areas rely on only one or two teachers to start with. Tanzania has estimated that it needs around 45,000 additional teachers to make up for those who have dies of left work because of HIV/AIDS (Impact of HIV/AIDS in Africa).

[|Picture of children]

__**Life expectancy**__ This infectious virus has affected many countries and with that has brought a lowered life expectancy. The child mortality rate due to the children being born infected with the disease already is attributed to the average life expectancy. The biggest increase seen in deaths is in-between adults aged 20-49, which accounts for nearly 60% of all deaths. AIDS has affected this age group the most because these are the years where the people are most economically productive.


 * __Social impact of AIDS in Uganda and South Africa__**


 * UGANDA:** In Uganda, AIDS has killed nearly one million people, and has reduced the average life expectancy rate. It has reduced the number of people working, has weakened educational and health services, and reduced agricultural production and food security. The unexpected lives taken by the disease has left over a million children without parents. Many who have this are discriminated in private sectors, in which some jobs have mandatory testing for new employees. These attitudes cause great hindrances to the prevention and treatment of the disease.


 * SOUTH AFRICA:** AIDS is a major factor in the rising number of deaths in South Africa. Nearly 1.9 million AIDS orphans has one or both parents that were killed by the disease, and this deadly virus is the cause of half of the country's orphans. Some institutions house these children, one being the Mohau Centre in Pretoria. These institutions provide essential care and support for the children throughout childhood years, especially for the many children whom have special needs.