AIDS
...10.8 -24.9 Tanzania -9.1 -14.6 Zimbabwe -19.7 -29.4 HIV/AIDS may generate a new class of poor and push those who are already living at the margin closer to the edge. In Zambia, for example, HIV/AIDS has led to a rapid transition from relative wealth to relative poverty in many households. In two thirds of families, when the father died monthly disposable income fell by more than 80%. Leaving the mother to cope with none or very little money to bring up her children and herself. Because so many adults are dying many children in Sub-Saharan Africa have to be orphaned. Almost three-quarters of the households in the community take in and care for orphans, reducing their own consumption per head as well as their ability to save and invest. Analysis The case studies above show that economic consequences of AIDS/HIV do vary spatially between different areas of the globe. The degree of the impact on the areas economy is dependent on their ability to manage and control the disease. This is dependent on two main factors, which are very much linked to the level of development of the area: Health Care When reducing the impact of a HIV/AIDS health care is a very important factor. The availability of good health care and drugs can help in the reduction of the impacts of HIV/AIDS. However the drugs needed to help AIDS infected people cost between $10,000 and $15,000 a year per patient. In America AIDS drugs are widely available to whoever needs them because the majority of the American people can afford to take out health insurance, which pays all of their medical expenses. This availability of drugs allows HIV infected people to live a fairly normal life. However in Sub-Saharan Africa treatment is largely unavailable and hospitals lack the knowledge and equipment to deal with AIDS infections because of the lack of funding from the government. As most cannot afford any of the...