The Socio-Economic Effects of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Nigerian Case

Abstract

Since the discovery of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the early 80s on the continent of Africa and Nigeria in 1986, the disease has turned out to be the most devastating and destructive in contemporary African societies. It has a serious impact on human resources and other aspects of societal development. The paper has examined some of the social and economic effects in Nigeria, using secondary data. It pointed out the impact of the disease on the population and loss of lives among the youth in their productive and reproductive ages, which reduces the labor supply which, in turn affects the overall economic output at micro and macro levels. The effect is glaring on the family that bears the cost of medical care and other expenses in addition to the suffering from stigma associated with AIDS. The financial burden of the family is responsible for the reduced care and consumption pattern in particular for women and children. The infected persons who remain alive but lose their jobs continue to face the problem of settling medical bills. The children of the dead who become orphans lose parental care and the required support for education and other welfare services. Among others, the paper recommends that the government and other stake-holders should put more efforts on the prevention of new infections and initiate welfare programs to address the problems of the infected and the immediate members of their families, in particular women and children.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Social Effects, Economic Effects, Stigma, Discrimination