IMPACTS OF STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT PROGRAMS




 IMPACT OF STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT PROGRAMS ON THE HIV EPIDEMIC.
worsening developing country debtors status over the last two decades created economic conditions that permitted industrialized countries to Impose Structural Adjustment (SAP). The effects that may result from SAP have conspired to undermine the social fabric of many developing countries that place their citizens at increased risk for HIV.

1.Developing sustainability of the rural subsistence economy.

Currency declaration, investment concessions and other efforts to promote exports under SAP disrupt rural subsistence economies. Small farmers find themselves facing stiff and sophisticated foreign competition as declines in local income shrink demand for their products. The need for large scale export agriculture causes migration. Migration patterns may be linked to the spread of HIV. As a result,reduced  labour in rural areas may contribute to declines in nutritional status  potentially increasing the risk of HIV seroconversion.

2.Development of transportation infrastructure.

Transportation networks that developed in the 1980's tended to support the exported economies promoted by SAP rather than the commercial or personal needs of subsistence farmers. Thus, network  connecting areas of exports centres developed,connecting rural areas to urban centres with HIV seroprevalences. This facilitates migration to large cities by rural dwellers searching for wage employment. Transportation routes may also facilitate the spread of HIV as truck drivers and other workers carry the virus from the cities to casual partners along  the ways.  Research shows that most of the truck drivers are infected with STD and HIV.

3.Migration and urbanisation.

Structural adjustment and other development  programs may also contribute to increasing HIV risk  behaviour by promoting urbanisation, a phenomenon that preceded SAP but has been hastened by these programs ,emphasis on export activity which is usually concentrated in urban areas.

Reduction in spending on health and social services.

While  SAP circumstances that could encourage high risk behaviour, they also decrease the resources available to reduce those behaviours and to treat HIV infection and its complications. They include, tax reductions and scarce government resources.
Viola Makokha

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TYPES OF HIV TEST

1.Antibody tests The most common HIV test is an antibody test. Antibodies are part of your immune system that are produced when you come into contact with an infection. Antibody tests look for this immune response. These tests can be finger-prick tests or use blood samples sent to a laboratory. If this result is negative or non-reactive, then you are HIV negative. If the result is positive this does not mean that you definitely have HIV, although it is likely. A small percentage of people can have a ‘false-positive’ result. All positive results need to be confirmed by a second test. In the UK a more sensitive antibody test called a western blot test is usually used to confirm a positive result. The western blot test takes longer (usually a week). It identifies genuine positive results. HIV antibody tests do not work as soon as you are infected because it usually takes four weeks for your body to generate antibodies to HIV. The time between infection and when your body ...
Read more

WITCHCRAFT AND HIV

Myth is a widely held but false idea or belief,on the other hand witchcraft is the practice of and belief in magical skills and abilities exercised by solitary practitioners. It is a central to many African conceptions of illness, disease causation and etiology. It varies culturally depending with the society. In many countries especially African countries people belief that HIV/AIDS is a spell that is cursed on a person through witchcraft.since an HIV/AIDS infected person may show signs like diarrhea and loss of weight which are classic symptoms of poisoning through witchcraft, suspicion of is retained as potential explanation for the ultimate reason behind the infection. The infected person would then consulte a witchdoctor for medication thus leading to more deaths since they can not find proper medication to prolong their lives.Men and women who believe HIV/AIDS is spread through witchcraft are less likely to use protection (condoms) during sexual intercourse.   ...
Read more

DRUG ABUSE CONTRIBUTION TO HIV/AIDS SPREAD

DRUG ABUSE CONTRIBUTION TO HIV /AIDS SPREAD Drug abuse is the over or under use  of any substance that alternates the normal functioning of the body. Drug abuse has been a great contributor to the spread  of HIV/AIDS. Do drugs contribute to the Spread  of HIV and how? It  increases the likely hood  of users to engage in high-risk  sexual practice   with infected individuals. Drug abuse also interferes with  effectiveness  of HIV treatment. Addicts may engage in sexually risky behaviors to obtain drugs or money for drugs. Sharing of needles while doing  drugs also exposes users to  infection since no one really  bothers about  the status of the other drug user. Abuse of substance      increases cancer risk ( ie)  most HIV patients  are smokers hence increased  incidence of lung cancer shortening the lifespan of the patient . Research shows that drug abuse causes greater  injury to...
Read more