title: HIV/AIDS, declining family resources and the community safety net.
abstract: Families play central roles in the HIV/AIDS pandemic, caring for both orphaned children and the ill. This extra caregiving depletes two family resources essential for supporting children: time and money. We use recent data from published studies in sub-Saharan Africa to illustrate deficits and document community responses. In Botswana, parents caring for the chronically ill had less time for their preschool children (74 versus 96 hours per month) and were almost twice as likely to leave children home alone (53% versus 27%); these children experienced greater health and academic problems. Caregiving often prevented adults from working full time or earning their previous level of income; 47% of orphan caregivers and 64% of HIV/AIDS caregivers reported financial difficulties due to caregiving. Communities can play an important role in helping families provide adequate childcare and financial support. Unfortunately, while communities commonly offer informal assistance, the value of such support is not adequate to match the magnitude of need: 75% of children's families in Malawi received assistance from their social network, but averaging only US$81 annually. We suggest communities can strengthen the capacity of families by implementing affordable quality childcare for 0-6 year olds, after-school programming for older children and youth, supportive care for ill children and parents, microlending to enhance earnings, training to increase access to quality jobs, decent working conditions, social insurance for the informal sector, and income and food transfers when families are unable to make ends meet.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health and Social Policy, McGill University, 1130 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, H3A 1A3, Canada.
authors.forename: Jody
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heymann
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kidman
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001902:Botswana / Q000453:epidemiology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000191:economics; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008295:Malawi / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors