PC(USA) - International AIDS Ministries - Issues


	Poverty and hunger
	In some of the worst-affected countries, the living standards of many poor people were already deteriorating before they experienced the full impact of the epidemic. In general, AIDS-affected households are more likely to suffer severe poverty than non-affected households; this is true for countries with low prevalence as well as those with high rates.

	Community-based garden. Photo by Frank Dimmock. AIDS takes away the income and production capacity of family members who are sick, at the same time as creating extraordinary care needs and rising household expenditures on medical and other costs, such as funeral expenses. On average, AIDS care-related expenses could absorb one-third of a household’s monthly income. Families may have to use their savings, sell assets such as land and livestock, and borrow money or seek support from their extended family. They also have to reduce spending on housing and clothing.

	In South Africa and Zambia, studies of AIDS-affected households — most of them already poor — found that their monthly income fell by 66 percent — 80 percent of that drop due to coping with AIDS-related sickness. AIDS is intensifying chronic food shortages in many countries where large numbers of people are already undernourished. The epidemic is significantly reducing countries’ agricultural workforces and families’ incomes with which to buy food. This is especially damaging for people living with AIDS who need more calories than uninfected individuals. Church Response: The Moringa Project – “The Miracle of the Moringa Tree” Catherine Davis and Nancy Haninger describe how the leaves of the moringa tree are turning helplessness into hope for children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. To learn more, order the May/June 2006 issue of Horizons magazine , or read moderator Rick Ufford-Chase's blog post, The Magical Moringa Tree.



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Poverty and hunger