Nutrition and HIV/AIDS: A Training Manual - Linkages Project

• Human capital: Reduced productivity and lost labor as a result of illness anddeath of infected people and to increased time demands on caregivers, lostknowledge transfer between generations, and lack of education of childrenunable to attend school because of caregiving or earning responsibilities• Financial capital: Health and funeral expenses, reduced income from lessproductive or lost labor, sale of assets, dissavings, and loans to affectedhouseholds• Social capital: Reduced access to formal and informal networks and supportsystems because of stigma, overburdened support systems, depleted capacityto respond to begging or borrowing, declines in institution membership becauseof illness and death, and diminished incentives to cooperate for future benefitsbecause of impending illness or death• Physical and natural capital: Sale of productive equipment or land, sale ofhousehold assets (e.g., furniture), and loss of property rights by widow- orchild-headed households or other survivorsBarnett and Blaikie (1992), Hunter et al (1993), Rugalema (1999), and Barnett andHalswimmer (1995) have shown that HIV/AIDS significantly damages farmingsystems. The results are “significant reduction in land use, declining crop yields,changes in cropping patterns, reduction in the range of crops and diminished cropenterprise diversity, which can result in a poorer diet, lower economic returns, lossof soil fertility and a decline in livestock activities” (CGIAR 2001).In response to food security shocks, households often look to the community and toother households to help meet consumption needs. But with an increasing number ofhouseholds affected and with people infected during their most productive years,community safety nets weaken and community resources diminish. Manycommunities face prevalence rates significantly higher than the already highnational rates, and existing coping strategies often fail. Orphans and vulnerablechildren, who under other circumstances would be supported by communities orextended families, are often left to fend for themselves and are particularlyvulnerable to food insecurity.75