A Qualitative Study of the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Agricultural Households in Southeastern Uganda

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Dawn C. Parker¹  Kathryn H. Jacobsen² 

[1] School of Planning, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada;Department of Global and Community Health, George Mason University, 4400 University Dr. Fairfax, VA 22030, USA; E-mail:

关键词: HIV/AIDS;    agriculture;    food security;    sustainability;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph6082113

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The HIV/AIDS pandemic threatens economic, social, and environmental sustainability throughout sub-Saharan Africa. This paper reports on a qualitative study exploring interrelationships between HIV/AIDS, labor availability, agricultural productivity, household resources, food consumption, and health status in rural southeastern Uganda. Respondents reported an increase in widow-and-orphan-headed households; labor shortages due to illness and caretaking; degradation of household resources from health-related expenses; loss of land tenure and assets following deaths, especially for widows and orphans; and changes in agricultural practices and productivity. Our study highlights a potential downward spiral of livelihood degradation for vulnerable households and suggests targeted interventions to improve sustainability.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2009 by the authors; licensee Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Basel, Switzerland.