Exploring livelihood strategies for HIV/AIDS-affected households in Zambezi, Mozambique
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Date
2020
Authors
Nzima, Isaiah
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
Mozambique has enjoyed a relatively stable political environment after the civil war that took place almost thirty years ago and which ended after a peace agreement was signed in Lusaka in 1992. The country has experienced economic growth, with a gross domestic product (GDP) that grew by 7.4% every year in the past two decades, making it one of the fastest-growing economies in the world (International Monetary Fund, 2014). However, there are still many people living in rural areas in Mozambique, and the country remains one of the poorest in the world (International Monetary Fund, 2014).
Most of Mozambique depends on subsistence farming or agriculture as the main source of livelihood, which contributed close to 23% of the GDP in 2008 and was a source of employment to 78% of the labour force in the country (USAID, 2008). Furthermore, natural resources such as forests have also made a significant contribution to people’s livelihoods, accounting for over 75% of the farming community in Mozambique. About 67% of the land that is suitable for livelihood strategies and environmental dependency is located in rural areas, while 33% is situated in government-protected areas (USAID, 2008).
In sub-Saharan Africa, HIV/AIDS is one of the major development issues destroying the livelihoods of increasing numbers of people, especially those living in the poorer areas on the continent (Krieger et al., 2003). The HIV/AIDS pandemic has had devastating effects, especially in Southern Africa, where the prevalence rates are as high as 30% in some parts (Kamali, 2010). Data from the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) reveal that each year there are over a hundred and twenty thousand new HIV infections in Mozambique. As further indicated by the UNAIDS (2019), more than a million and a half people are infected with HIV around Mozambique and the national HIV rate, as recently assessed, is around 16 per cent for people fifteen years and older. The UNAIDS revealed that almost half of the population living with the virus that causes AIDS are not accessing antiretroviral treatment or support (UNAIDS, 2019).
The HIV/AIDS pandemic is described as a development disaster in all of Africa, suggesting that HIV has negatively affected the development agenda in Southern Africa (Kamali, 2010). Drimie (2002:3) quotes the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as saying that HIV/AIDS is associated with a state of devastation in an affected household, making it even more unique since it deprives the family, community members and the entire nation of productive and energetic people who are sometimes the main providers for the household. There are fears that as the problem of HIV/AIDS continues to grow, there will be increased pressure on the already fragile relationship between communities and the environment at the local level, as well as on the social infrastructure and community livelihoods. This will lead to increased dependency on the natural environment as a coping mechanism (Oramasionwu, 2011). Zambezia is one of the communities in Mozambique most impacted by HIV/AIDS (USAID, 2008). Recent reports suggest that the over the years, Mozambique has made attempts to deal with HIV, with the number of new HIV infections and the number of AIDS deaths showing a decline since 2010 (WHO, 2019).
Zambezia Province is mostly rural, since it is located in the northern central part of Mozambique (Moon et al., 2010). The Province is heavily dependent on subsistence farming and fishing (Moon et al., 2010). Most of the inhabitants’ livelihoods revolve around agricultural products which include rice, maize, cassava, cashews, sugarcane, coconuts, citrus, cotton, and tea. While this Province includes Mozambique’s largest tea estates, which are based in Gurúè, fishing for shrimps and small-scale mining of gemstones also occur in some areas (Moon et al., 2010). The adult HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in this Province is estimated at 12.6% (INSIDA, 2009), with about 20% of all people living with HIV/AIDS in Mozambique residing in Zambezia (PEPFAR, 2013).
Description
Dissertation (MDS.(Development Studies))--University of the Free State, 2020
Keywords
Ogumaniha Project, Mozambique - Economic conditions, Poverty - Mozambique, HIV/AIDS - Mozambique