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How HIV/AIDS in Africa Contributes to Violent Conflict

HIV/AIDS in Africa
The HIV/AIDS epidemic remains a significant public health problem in southern Africa. In the last decade, infections have drastically dropped while awareness of HIV status and availability of treatment has increased. This progress aligns with the UNAIDS 90-90-90 goal. Meeting this goal means that at least 90% of people with HIV are aware of their status, 90% are receiving antiretroviral drug treatments and 90% are virally suppressed. Viral suppression means that the virus will not negatively affect a person and that that person will not be able to transmit it to another person. Some of the most HIV-afflicted countries in Africa have met and even exceeded the 90-90-90 goals. Eswatini has the highest HIV prevalence in the world today at 26.8%. It has reached 95% in all categories and is on its way to reducing new infections.

HIV/AIDS and Conflicts

Despite recent progress, international aid has been focusing on HIV/AIDS less and less, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has become a more imminent global threat. Sub-Saharan Africa still has the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world. It is also one of the most conflict-ridden regions in the world.

HIV/AIDS has a history of destabilizing political and social institutions in countries and leaving them vulnerable to violent conflict. The International Crisis Group estimated that one in seven civil servants, including government employees, teachers and the armed forces in South Africa were HIV-positive in 1998.

How Does HIV/AIDS Affect Civil Servants in Africa?

  1. The disease affects the productivity of the military and its ability to respond to armed conflicts. In 2003, the Zimbabwe Human Development Report estimated that the Zimbabwe Defense Forces had an HIV prevalence rate of 55%. With such a high rate of illness, the military has high training and recruitment costs, as soldiers get sick and are unable to work. In addition to this, HIV can transmit through sexual contact. It disproportionately affects younger populations which typically make up the bulk of the armed forces.
  2. The HIV/AIDS epidemic breaks down political institutions by limiting their capacity to govern. According to former president Robert Mugabe in 2001, AIDS had a significant presence in his cabinet, killing three of his cabinet ministers in the span of a few years and infecting many more. The disease wipes out workers essential to the function of a state, like policymakers, police officers and judicial employees.
  3. HIV/AIDS threatens the quality and accessibility of education. A UNICEF report found that more than 30% of educators in Malawi were HIV positive. If children cannot receive a quality primary education, they are less likely to receive secondary education and start professional careers. Instead, crime may open up opportunities for security that education could not provide. With increased antiretroviral use and awareness of the disease, HIV rates and deaths among educators have likely dropped along with overall rates in the last decade.

Civil Servants

The impact of HIV/AIDS on civil servants in Africa has been immense. The disease affects vulnerable populations such as gay men, sex workers and young women disproportionately. However, it has also affected those who work as civil servants. Civil servants are integral to the functioning of governments. Without them, countries are vulnerable to conflict and violence. Furthermore, HIV/AIDS prolongs conflict in countries already experiencing it.

While there are many other causes of violent conflict, the breakdown of political and social institutions fueled by HIV/AIDS only exacerbates conflict. War can also be a vector for the further spread of the disease. According to UNHCR, both consensual and non-consensual sexual encounters happen more often during the conflict. Rape has been a weapon of war in conflicts in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Liberia in recent years and has likely contributed to the spread of HIV.

Solutions

Combating HIV and AIDS is a very important step in stabilizing economic, political and social structures across Africa. USAID programs like PEPFAR have had a significant role in combating HIV and AIDS. PEPFAR has invested nearly $100 billion in the global AIDS response in various ways. Most notably, it has provided 18.96 million people with much-needed antiretroviral treatment.

PEPFAR also aids in prevention care. For example, it has supported more than 27 million voluntary medical male circumcisions as well as testing services for 63.4 million people. In 2012, there was a government campaign in Zimbabwe to promote circumcision, in which at least 10 members of parliament participated.

These campaigns and USAID programs have had tangible results. In 2013, a study by the South African National Defense Forces showed an 8.5% HIV prevalence rate among its soldiers, much lower than the 19% prevalence in the general population. Given the successes in decreasing HIV/AIDS infections across Africa, perhaps economic, political and social stability is to follow.

– Emma Tkacz
Photo: Flickr

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Alicia Keys’ Charity: Keep a Child Alive 

Keep a Child AliveMulti-award-winning R&B singer-songwriter Alicia Keys, born Alicia Augello Cook, has been a household name since her breakout single “Fallin” in 2001. However, in addition to selling  42 million copies across her seven albums, she also co-founded the Keep a Child Alive (KCA) charity in 2003.

Keep a Child Alive (KCA)

Keys and Keep a Child Alive co-founder and HIV/AIDS activist Leigh Blake met when Blake and U2’s Bono were collaborating on the 2001 revamping of Marvin Gaye’s 1971 single “What’s Going On” as an AIDS awareness charity effort. Blake insisted on bringing Keys into the star-studded affair because of Keys’ newcomer success in the music industry. Blake and Keys remained in touch. When Keys stated her upcoming tour would be making a stop in South Africa, Blake took the opportunity to invite Keys to see the effect of AIDS there. Speaking about the trip, Blake describes visiting clinics in South Africa where women would come to Keys and plead for assistance in securing antiretroviral drugs so that they could live to look after their children.

KCA’s Mission and Vision

KCA aims to properly address and remedy the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa by focusing on treating people, not merely the disease. This essentially means recognizing and addressing the primary causes and underlying conditions driving the epidemic and virus. KCA’s website notes, “The trajectory of HIV and AIDS is closely linked to poverty.” According to the International Labor Organization, the connection between HIV/AIDS and poverty is reflected not only in the inverse relationship between higher infection rates and a reduced number of available workers but also in the effect the virus has on generations long term.

The Broader Impacts of HIV/AIDS

Living in an HIV-affected household increases the likelihood of the disruption of a child’s education in many ways, such as the cost of school becoming untenable due to reduced income in the household and the affected child then being required to work. However, KCA provides education and fosters development for young people and women to earn a living safely since poverty fosters unskilled labor and risky professions, such as sex work, especially among women and children. Additionally, migrant labor and travel for temporary jobs increase the risk of contracting the virus. As it so often does, an unrelenting cycle emerges. With more people contracting HIV/AIDS without appropriate medical treatment, fewer people are able to work and contribute to the economy.

KCA has several locations in Africa. Keep a Child Alive, in partnership with Women’s Equity in Access to Care and Treatment (WE-ACTx), provides medical care to women and children forced to relocate, some of whom contracted HIV/AIDS as a result of sexual assaults occurring during brutal attacks in war-ridden areas. With the evolution of WE-ACTx came the inclusion of mental health and psychosocial services. Keep a Child Alive also partners with the Family Care Clinic, providing pediatric HIV services in Kenya and Alive Medical Services in one of the most economically disadvantaged and heavily populated areas of Uganda, which offers “a beacon of hope: free, comprehensive HIV treatment.” 

Fundraising and Support

Keep a Child Alive’s annual fundraiser in New York is called the Black Ball. The gala, a gathering of various artists, celebrities and philanthropists, has included names such as David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Bono, Lupita Nyong’o, Patti Smith, Clive Davis, Padma Lakshmi, Russell Simmons and Adele since its 2004 inception. The Black Ball raised $2.4 million in 2018 alone.

While the Black Ball is its most prominent charity event, KCA also encourages citizens to join in the fight by creating fundraisers as well as showing support by running marathons. KCA knows this is not an easy ask, but utilizing marathons as fundraising increases impact and engagement across the globe.

Along with its mission to support those around the world afflicted and affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, KCA has stepped onto the frontlines during the COVID-19 crisis. In the lingering wake of the pandemic, the charity has delivered emergency relief to those in need by providing more than one million pounds of food supplies to more than 100,000 people across several countries, principally children and youth younger than 16.

The collective efforts of Keep a Child Alive bring hope to those with HIV/AIDS in impoverished regions, staying true to its vision of “helping children and young people reach their potential, and live healthier, happier lives.”

– Tiffany Pate
Photo: Flickr

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The Key to HIV Prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa

HIV prevention in AfricaHuman Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is known to have impacted the world for approximately 40 years. Considering the fact that the virus was equally as aggressive as it was untreatable, first world countries like the United States and France were more able to provide for their citizens. Doctors could properly and continually perform research in order to educate citizens on the virus. Additionally, they could hastily link HIV prevention and methods of protection and treatment. Unfortunately, in sub-Saharan African countries, accomplishing the same feats proves more difficult. Therefore, 66% of newly diagnosed HIV cases worldwide come from sub-Saharan African countries.

HIV/AIDS’s Effect on Africa

Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, parts of South Africa, regions in Zambia, Namibia, Southern Malawi and Kenya are the countries in Africa whose populations have the highest rates of being infected or affected by HIV. In Kenya, only about 30% of sexually active individuals practice safe sex methods. Additionally, only 47.5% of adolescent women could properly identify methods that would prevent them from contracting HIV sexually. With that said, women are at an extremely high risk of contracting HIV in sub-Saharan Africa.

An Increased HIV/AIDS Risk Factor for Women

One of the main factors contributing to women being at a higher risk of contracting HIV in sub-Saharan Africa is that the rate of school attendance is extremely low for girls in sub-Saharan Africa. Girls are more likely to be exposed to social and economic scenarios that could potentially threaten their survival and put them at an increased risk of contracting HIV. Therefore, it is important to increase both the school attendance rate for girls and the amount of sex education offered at school. This would include information on HIV and STI prevention.

Sex Education’s Impact on Adolescent Health and Choices

UNAIDS analyzed a series of studies in order to determine whether or not sex education makes a significant impact on school-aged children’s sexually based decisions. Out of a total of 53 studies, 22 studies showed that, after sex education was implemented, three things changed– individuals waited a longer amount of time to initially have sex, the number of sexual partners per person decreased and the number of unplanned pregnancies and STI diagnoses decreased. Additionally, 27 studies showed that HIV/AIDS rates, alongside overall sexual health, did not improve or worsen the amount of sexual activity, pregnancies or STI rates.

Overall, the results of these studies support the claim that implementing sex education in schools’ curricula is an efficient way to reduce practices that could result in the spread and contraction of HIV/AIDS and other STIs in school-aged children.

Africa’s Implementation of Sexual Education

South Africa has taken the initiative to create and implement a plan for discussing HIV prevention in the school setting. The priorities of this plan include generating attention toward HIV/AIDS for both students and teachers, including information on HIV/AIDS in the school’s curriculum and creating models that display the effects of HIV/AIDS on the school district. This initiative also ensures the protection of students’ and teachers’ constitutional rights and confidentiality about HIV/AIDS status.

Due to these precautions, HIV-positive individuals will not be discriminated against. In order to ensure that the students are learning the best methods of HIV-AIDS prevention, the curriculum will remain up-to-date and teachers will be trained accordingly.

Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Eleven sub-Saharan countries have introduced various courses into their schools’ curricula to educate them on sex education in varying degrees. Rwanda and Zambia adhere to what the United Nations has deemed necessary for students to learn through sex education. These classes fall under the category of “Comprehensive Sexuality Education” (CSE). These classes discuss healthy relationships between genders and how to decrease sexual violence; in addition to sex education in a way that is appropriate for younger children and adolescents. The main objectives of CSE are to teach children:

  • to acknowledge their “health, well-being and dignity”
  • to create considerate relationships, both sexually and socially
  • to analyze their choices and consider how the potential consequences will affect themselves and others
  • how to comprehend and protect their rights throughout their lives
There has recently been evidence of CSE being used at an increased rate in certain areas of Africa. Burundi, Senegal, Nigeria, Mozambique and Zambia have all ensured that their teachers and educators receive the proper education and training on CSE. Zambia’s program has been especially praiseworthy because the costs of instruction for sexual and reproductive health are included in the budget for education.

Various projects and initiatives throughout the world have provided crucial information pinpointing which countries need HIV prevention through sexual education implementation. The collaboration between many organizations has allowed third world countries to access resources that would be more difficult to achieve independently. Fortunately, the difficult challenges that impoverished countries have faced to prevent the spread of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa are becoming more attainable.

– Amanda Kuras
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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The Success of HIV/AIDS Prevention in Zambia

HIV/AIDS Prevention in Zambia

Antiretroviral therapy in Zambia has been one of the most effective HIV/AIDS prevention strategies in recent years. Thanks to the efforts of the CDC and the Zambian government, the spread of HIV/AIDS has decreased steadily by 13 percent since 2010.

HIV/AIDS Prevention in Zambia – Strategies

  • Education and Awareness: The effective response and resource allocation from the Zambian government through early HIV testing had a profound effect on the stigma surrounding the virus, encouraging more people to get tested. To that end, the government implemented the GIPA policy, emphasizing equality in medicine free from discrimination. In addition, the National Health Services Act is a government policy aimed at strengthening the structural power of Zambia’s medical field to increase its influence on rural communities. Aside from spearheading research, the act more clearly defines Zambia’s medical infrastructure with a power structure to allocate resources as effectively as possible. Integrating these government programs into the heart of Zambia’s most impoverished communities decreases the chances of an outbreak.
  • Antiretroviral Therapy: As mentioned above, the CDC is also active in Zambia, focusing on early antiretroviral therapy in highly affected areas like the Copperbelt and the western provinces. Within these parameters, 89 percent of those who began treatment immediately are less likely to spread the virus. Outreach programs to reach the more impoverished and marginalized groups have also been successful, with antiretroviral therapy increasing among children from 23 percent in 2009 to 79 percent as of 2019. The government has also promoted the use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a daily course of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) taken by HIV-negative people which reduces the risk of contracting the virus.
  • Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission: Through the PMTCT (Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission) plan, Zambia has made great strides aimed at preventing the spread of the virus from mother to offspring by providing lifelong antiretroviral therapy in Zambia. According to the CDC, through early education and effective policy implementation, the health protection agency has prevented 98 percent of HIV-exposed babies from contracting the virus.

Final Thoughts

The lack of access to basic health care and a comprehensive understanding of how HIV spreads, especially in rural communities, produces a hostile environment where exposure risk increases. Furthermore, high poverty and unemployment levels create a shaky foundation where socio-economic growth is key to eliminating the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Zambia. However, increased government spending has sprouted new testing facilities in rural areas, providing quality service where “…the Government is scaling up social protection by increasing allocations to the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) and Food Security Pack (FSP) program[s] and other poverty mitigation measures.”

The key to a structural change in Zambia’s HIV epidemic lies partially in assisting Zambia’s fairly large impoverished community. In addition, antiretroviral therapy in Zambia continues to be a focal point of the government’s long-term plan to eliminate the virus with increased spending on antiretroviral therapy and sex education in a bid to secure more prosperous futures for its citizens.

– Adam Townsend
Photo: Pixabay

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10 Facts about Orphans in Zimbabwe

Orphans in Zimbabwe

The landlocked country of Zimbabwe in southern Africa is known for its diverse wildlife and sprawling, gorgeous landscapes. What many might not be aware of is the crisis taking place within the country. Young children and those under the age of 18 are the sole providers of their households because of circumstances causing them to become orphans. The 10 facts about orphans in Zimbabwe listed below demonstrate the severity and seriousness of this issue taking place in this diverse and culturally rich country.

10 Facts about Orphans in Zimbabwe

  1. HIV/AIDS contributes largely to the number of orphans.
    In Zimbabwe, there are more than 1.3 million orphaned children, and HIV/AIDS is the culprit. According to the National AIDS Council (NAC), over 50,000 households are headed by children under the age of 18 who have lost parents to this deadly infectious
    disease.
  2. Children are born with HIV/AIDS.
    Adults and parents are not the only victims of HIV/AIDS. This infection can also be passed from mother to child by way of pregnancy, delivery or breastfeeding. In fact, 180,000 children were born with it. As a result, these children are highly vulnerable, and often face social prejudice.
  3. Orphans can go to next of kin, but that is not always an option.
    Traditionally, those orphaned in Zimbabwe are taken in by kin living in surrounding areas. This kin often involve aunts, uncles and grandparents of the orphaned children. Because of the destruction of families that HIV/AIDS causes, this network system is under severe pressure. It is predicted that between the years of 2020 to 2030, orphaned Zimbabwean children will not only have to deal with the loss of their parents but also will not have support from grandparents or other family members.
  4. Many run away after becoming orphaned.
    In an Evaluation Report completed by UNICEF in 2001 concerning orphans and other vulnerable children in Zimbabwe, it was reported that children dealing with AIDS in some form of their life were highly mobile. This means that nearly 50 percent of children had
    left their homes after the death of their parents. They headed for rural areas to ease hardships involved with living in the urban areas of Zimbabwe. Many children in this study ran away, never to be heard from again.
  5. Their education is poor.
    Education of those orphaned in Zimbabwe is lacking and in dire need of improvement. Adequate education in Zimbabwe for orphaned children is not easily accessible. Orphaned children, especially young adolescent girls, are often unable to regularly attend school. These children are missing out on key skills needed to be a functioning member of society, as education is considered a “social vaccine.”
  6. Poverty is certain.
    In addition to the loss of parents, many orphaned children struggle with extreme poverty. Poverty is destructive to all children of Zimbabwe and the world, but it is especially devastating to orphans under the age of 18 who have become the head of their household. They are exposed to a multitude of risks. These risks include poor health, poor educational opportunities, delays in development and a lack of emotional or social support.
  7. Many are not given a birth certificate which prevents them from accessing education and health care.
    In Zimbabwe, a high amount of children never receive a birth certificate. As a result, it becomes close to impossible to secure a spot in any school. This reduces their chances of adequate and sustainable education. In addition to this, never receiving a birth certificate can make seeking medical attention, especially for orphans living with HIV/AIDS, extremely challenging.
  8. Pathways offers services specifically for orphans in Zimbabwe.
    In July of 2018, USAID announced the launch of Pathways. The program was designed to provide nutrition, health and psychosocial services for orphaned and vulnerable children in Zimbabwe. This five year, the $35 million program will provide support and offer services to 250,000-HIV/AIDS infected orphans and 59,500 households of Zimbabwe.
  9. There are programs dedicated to keeping families together.
    SOS Children’s Villages in Zimbabwe has been one of the leading organizations offering support for orphans since 1983. Goals and the work of SOS Children’s Villages are working to support and strengthen families by providing necessities and ensuring that they stay together. If families are unable to remain together, SOS Children’s Villages can place vulnerable children into SOS families. Additionally, SOS Children’s Villages in Zimbabwe also works by way of providing education and advocacy.
  10. CAMFED is helping young orphan girls gain educational opportunities.
    CAMFED Zimbabwe, an organization launched in 1993, has been working tirelessly to increase educational opportunities for orphaned female adolescents in Zimbabwe. By providing scholarships for poor girls in rural areas, building hostels to shorten long distances girls must walk to school (walks are dangerous and tedious for young girls), chances for academic success for young women in Zimbabwe is improved and attainable. Nearly 104,000 young, orphaned girls have been given secondary scholarships by CAMFED Zimbabwe.

Improvements Are Still Needed

Overall, the 10 facts about orphans in Zimbabwe listed above are important in understanding the severity and prevalence of this issue in Zimbabwe. Though many vulnerable children have been supported by a variety of organizations dedicated to orphans in Zimbabwe, a significant amount of work is still needed to truly relieve the burden that orphans in this country must take on.

– Anna Giffels
Photo: Flickr