 |
Although the most apparent effect of HIV & AIDS has been on illness and death, the impact of the epidemic stretches far wider than simply the effect on the health sector. In addition to the effect of the epidemic on areas such as education, households, relationships and communities in general, the HIV & AIDS epidemic has a profound and immensely draining effect on business and policy development. The large majority of people living with HIV in Africa are in the prime of their working lives, between the ages of 15 and 49. It therefore stands to reason that HIV & AIDS will continue to have a severe impact on the labour sector, and on government, and continue to impede economic and social progress on the continent for at least the next decade. |
| Business is affected by HIV & AIDS in a number of ways. The epidemic weakens economic activity through the addition of costs, the depletion of skills, the diversion of productive resources, and the reduction in productivity. As the epidemic progresses, business will also see a rise in healthcare costs, funeral benefits and pension fund commitments. Productivity will also continue to be affected due to increasing absenteeism. Many studies that have been undertaken over the past few years to assess the impact of HIV & AIDS on the working sector have consistently shown the negative effect of the epidemic. While some companies in Africa have implemented effective HIV & AIDS policies and programmes in an effort to deal with the vast impact of the epidemic, many others have still made little attempt to address this ever growing force. In addition to the effect on the labour sector in general, HIV & AIDS has also had severe ramifications on economies all over the continent. This impact that the epidemic has had on the economy has made it even more difficult for countries to respond to the situation.
Due to these, and the many other facets related to business and policy, and the speed at which HIV & AIDS related matters are developing, it has become more and more critical for organisations, businesses and anyone linked to the African continent in general, either locally or internationally, to remain well informed on the ever changing state of affairs of HIV & AIDS on the African continent. Developed to monitor and document the movements and trends in Grants, Funding, Policy and Government-related areas linked to HIV & AIDS in Africa, HIV & AIDS Fortnightly Focus – Business and Policy in Africa, provides a comprehensive fortnightly summary of noteworthy happenings in these areas across the continent. Categorised by country, the report provides easy-to-monitor, wide-ranging coverage of the HIV epidemic in Africa. Concise and succinct, the Fortnightly Focus is delivered direct to your email inbox on the 1st and 15th of every month, and is the essential product to keep up to date with the rapidly changing picture of HIV & AIDS in Africa.
|
|
