HIV/AIDS Mitigation Technical Note from FANTA
by Dr. Patricia Bonnard

Technical Note No. 5

HIV/AIDS Mitigation: Using What We Already Know

The HIV/AIDS pandemic has serious implications for household and community food security. Households affected by HIV/AIDS suffer the loss of productive labor, income and food reserves. Savings are diverted and assets are depleted to meet health care and funeral costs. More and more households and individuals are forced to seek support from the broader community. These mounting demands rapidly erode existing social capital as well as threaten long-standing local institutions. In response to the proliferation of these devastating consequences, HIV/AIDS has become a focal point of development strategies and programs in nearly every sector (e.g., health, agriculture, education and commerce). A question repeatedly raised, yet not sufficiently addressed to date, is how can we effectively mitigate the numerous, wide-ranging socio-economic impacts of HIV/AIDS? One approach is to use what we already know. The development community has a wealth of experience in improving food security. We can draw from this experience to address the new challenges posed by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This technical note provides a summary of the literature on the impacts of HIV/AIDS on household and community food security and livelihood strategies in rural areas. It also presents a range of promising practices derived from the broader food-security and development experience that can be applied to HIV/AIDS mitigation efforts. The information presented below orients program staff about the critical socioeconomic impacts and constraints most likely experienced in HIV/AIDS-affected environments, and suggests appropriate program designs and modifications to mitigate the socioeconomic impacts of HIV/AIDS. This technical note is also intended for the wider development community to encourage multisectoral approaches to development programs in a HIV/AIDS context.