Aids In Africa Essay Research Paper IntroductionAfrica — страница 3

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and their needs. Men are more likely to be treated for illnesses than women are. The social constructions that make women so vulnerable to the disease are not likely to be considered when looking to solve the HIV/A.I.D.S. problem because of women s lower status. However, the number of women in comparison to men is now dropping so much that men are immigrating to find wives. The wives are continuing to get younger because all of the girls or age are dying of disease. Something may soon need to be done to help the women to protect the interests of men (Lawson). When women marry into another family they loose all their rights in their own family. If their husband dies [COMMA] they loose [LOSE] all their rights in his family as well and is usually put together with another male of

the family to avoid having to pay back the dowry. If her husband died of A.I.D.S., which is very likely, she would most likely have it as well and her new husband would then be infected with the disease (Lawson). This practice can help to wipe out an entire family. If a women is widowed and is not given to another man her and her children will most likely live in poverty because the men are the supporters of the family. Sociocultural beliefs and values are written into the law and further impede on a women’s chance at independence. An example is that divorced and unmarried women are barred from use of land left with no option but to engage in prostitution to survive (Lawson, 1999). Due to the gender inequality women are also less educated and have less job options. (Lawson).

Effects on the Economy and Business The high proportion of infected or sick individuals within the working population tends to disrupt the functioning of firms (Aventin and Huard, 1999). Companies are over-hiring to attempt to keep up to pace with the rate of A.I.D.S. related deaths within the labor force (Shillinger). The 20-39 year old age group is at least 42 % of the total labor force of the sub-Saharan countries and it is this age group that is the most effected by sexually transmissible diseases (Aventin and Huard). Having an infected labor force has many detrimental effects on a corporation. Workers who are sick have less productivity while working and also take a lot more time off. When workers die [COMMA] Those positions left open have to be refilled and those new

employees need to be trained. Lack of a sufficient number of employees puts more strain on other workers, which is harmful to their health even if they are not infected with HIV or A.I.D.S. (Aventin and Huard). It is very costly for employers to pay for employees who are infected. One study showed a business that spent more in health care than they made in profits for that year (Aventin and Haurd). The amount of coverage provided depends on the employer. Life insurance premiums in Zimbabwe quadrupled in two years and some companies report a doubling of their health bills because of A.I.D.S. related deaths and treatments (A.I.D.S. in Africa, 1998). Possible Solutions Trying to stop the spread of disease in Africa is very a complicated task. The everyday practices of Africans

perpetuate the spread of disease. Their own beliefs and value systems in their society hinder improvements from being made. The first step to helping the problem is understanding the details of the disease. Contrary to popular belief it is not easy to contract HIV during heterosexual sex under normal circumstances. If a person is in a stable and healthy environment[COMMA] there is less than a 2 in 1,000 chance of an infected man transmitting the virus to an unprotected woman. When other factors are added in such as other sexually transmitted diseases and poor nutrition the risks raise drastically (Shillinger). Africa is not at all a stable or healthy environment. People are not well nourished and some work in unhealthy conditions such as mines. With the lack of protection during

sexual encounters and the frequency of multiple partners all types of sexually transmitted diseases are extremely common. To reduce the risk of getting HIV/A.I.D.S. improving the general health of Africans would be a good preventative measure. Prevention has proved in many studies to be much less expensive than treatment and much less disturbing to society in other ways. The same types of problems arise with health improvements as do with all attempts to slowing the spread of HIV/A.I.D.S. There is a lack of money to provide food, medical care contraceptives and education. [NEW PARAGRAPH] There are also the same cultural issues. Numerous studies have shown that distribution of free condoms and education efforts have proved at least somewhat successful (Caldwell). One way to avoid