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Policy implications
The findings of this study call for urgent
policy action in order to mitigate the
negative impact generated by HIV and
AIDS. This response needs to be multipronged
as the issues are diverse and
complicated. In addition to the scaling up
of national poverty reduction strategies,
special social protection programmes
are required to support the people,
households and communities that are
hardest hit by the epidemic. The scale
of impact is likely to increase in the
future as the number of households
affected would increase. Greater number
of currently working PLWHA would
withdraw from labour force due to
illness. This is accompanied by reduced
income and savings, liquidation of assets
and increased indebtedness of HIV
households. Reduction of human capital
not only due to death and morbidity
of PLWHA but also due to reduced
investment in education of children
will only increase the impact of the
epidemic.
The study clearly brings out the deplorable
condition of HIV-positive widows. In the
absence of the bread-earner, the widow
households are much worse off than
the other HIV households, in terms
of household income, expenditure,
borrowings and liquidation of assets.
Denial of share in the property and lack of
any other avenue of income could push
these widows into risky behaviour.
Executive Summary
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