AIDS in Africa SS7CG3 The student will analyze how politics in Africa impacts standard of living. b. Describe the impact of government stability on the distribution of resources to combat AIDS and famine across Africa.

Fast Facts Between 1999 and 2000 more people died of AIDS in Africa than in all the wars on the continent. The year 2000 began with 24 million Africans infected with the virus. Each day, 6,000 Africans die from AIDS. Each day, an additional 11,000 are infected.

Fast Facts Continued In 2007… 32.8 million living with HIV 2.5 million new infections of HIV 2 million deaths from AIDS Over two-thirds of HIV cases, and some 80% of deaths, were in Sub-Saharan Africa.

AIDS and Government Stability Describe the impact of government stability on the distribution of resources to combat AIDS and famine across Africa. In highly affected regions, HIV/AIDS also places huge strains on state institutions and the economy. AIDS most frequently strikes at the most productive members of society, those 15-45 years old. Their deaths have left Africa with over 11 million orphans Number of deaths and infection rate to increase over the next 10 years Therefore, the acute impact of the AIDS pandemic may result in the widespread economic and political destabilization of societies, states, and entire regions.

WHY? Poor health care systems, poverty, and lack of government organization Lack of knowledge about the disease and its prevention Antiretroviral drugs that are able to slow down the progress of the disease are expensive and therefore often not available to people in sub-Saharan Africa

What is Africa doing to help combat AIDS? HIV prevention campaigns Distribution of Safe Sex Materials Voluntary HIV counseling and testing Antiretroviral drugs to prevent mother to child transmission

Famine in Africa Famine is caused by the shortage or inability of people to obtain food. Many African countries face famine today because: Climate changes Political conflict which disrupts farming Poor prices for African goods on world market Poorly organized or corrupt governments Disease

AIDS and Famine Describe the impact of government stability on the distribution of resources to combat AIDS and famine across Africa. If people are sick, what happens? Aids kills young adults, especially women - the people whose labor is most needed. When the rains come, people must work 16 hours a day planting and weeding the crop. If that critical period is missed, the family will go hungry. In a community depleted by Aids, each working adult must produce more to feed the same number of dependents - not just children but sick adults, too. Just as HIV destroys the body's immune system, the epidemic of HIV and Aids has disabled African countries. As a result of HIV, the worst-hit African countries have undergone a social breakdown that is now reaching a new level: African societies' capacity to resist famine is fast eroding. Hunger and disease have begun reinforcing each other.