HIV+and+Apartheid

Bryan Wang IB History Year 2 Period 3 Historical Investigation

A. Plan of Investigation

The purpose of my investigation is to research and inform on the links between HIV/AIDS and the economy in South Africa in the 1990’s. The essential question that guides the investigation is “To what extent were HIV/AIDS and the economy influencing each other?” The body of the investigation will not only look at the cost and impact of HIV/AIDS on the economy of South Africa but also look into how the economy affected the prevalence of HIV/AIDS. The investigation will be conducted by analyzing how the inflictions damaged the workforce, how much was spent on prevention, and how the dire economic situations caused a jump in the number of cases of HIV/AIDS. The sources used in this investigation will be analyzed by their origins, purposes, values, and limitations. A conclusion, support and an answer to the research question will be found and given.

B. Summary of Evidence HIV and AIDS has ravaged South Africa in the past and still continues to rampage through it to this day. Currently around 5,700,000 South Africans are living with HIV and that number had been increasing since 1948 (“South Africa”). In the 1990’s the disease ripped through South Africa as well. With so many cases of HIV the economy of the nation has suffered heavily. According to Bradshaw and Dorrington, there was a “…rapid increase in young adult mortality in the late 1990s in South Africa…”. This claim is displayed through a graph that shows data of mortalities in South Africa in 2000. The data from 2000 closely resembles the data in the preceding years. The graph shows that the bulk of deaths due to HIV are concentrated in the 25-49 age range for males and the 20-44 age range for females. Also, Avert states “that a study in South Africa found that 21% of teachers aged 25-34 were living with HIV”. The workforce of South Africa was always under strain as businesses lose money and schools were hurt too. Hospitals were overcrowded and treatment is tough to handle with the sheer number of patients (Avert). Money was also spent in order to prevent HIV by using education (Avert). Households and families themselves suffered from expenses due to no work, no basic necessities, health care costs and funeral costs (Avert). The dramatic increase in HIV/AIDS also led to less worker efficiency, higher costs, reduced savings, and lower firm profits (Whiteside 405). The greatest impact was to be on the families in the lower-class. Their thin finances and poor lifestyle made them susceptible to infection and then drained their money even further. According to Whiteside, women sold their bodies in order to provide for their families and so the disease was contracted between persons much more quickly. Relative to other African countries, South Africa was well off but the distribution of wealth plays a large role. The distribution was uneven and the gap between the rich and the poor was huge. Therefore, a small middle-class exists and many South Africans belonged to the lower-income group. The group was isolated and mingled within itself and so havoc was wreaked. It is important to note that the structure of the economy underwent transformations resulting in the unemployment rate has risen. These circumstances were caused by the fact that the primary and secondary sectors of the South African economy (agriculture, forestry, mining, manufacturing, electricity, gas, water, and construction) shrunk while the tertiary sector (services, banking, insurance, trade, tourism) saw growth (Whiteside 407). This information also revealed the disparity in the treatment of whites and blacks. According to PubMed.Gov, in 1988 "Black state hospitals are grossly overcrowded, underserviced, and poorly equipped and financed, while Whites served by the state health services enjoy a doctor-patient ratio of 1:330 and a nurse-patient ratio almost 700% better. According to the state-published South African Yearbook, the impact of this situation was reflected by the relative life expectancy of Blacks (58.9 years) versus Whites (73.2 years)." (Seftel). There is data to support the claim of a disparity. Whiteside talks about the Gini Coefficient, which is a measure of distribution of wealth. “Perfect distribution is indicated by zero; 100 shows that one person has it all.” (Whiteside 407). In a table in the World Development Report from 1999 provided by the World Bank, South Africa had a Gini Coefficient of 59.3 compared to a Gini Coefficient of 40.8 for the United States.

C. Evaluation of Sources

"The Impact of HIV & AIDS in Africa." Avert. Avert, 3 Aug. 2010. Web. 2 Sept. 2010. .

This source is a written article on is solely found online. The origin of this source is Avert, which is an international charity for HIV and AIDS. It was written recently and by an unknown author or authors. The purpose of the source is to inform on the effects of HIV on South Africa in many aspects, including the health sector, households, and the economy. It also includes implications for the future but it is irrelevant. This source is valuable because it provides information and statistics from the past of South Africa that is relevant to the research question. It provides information on the effect HIV had on the economy such as businesses, hospitals, and individuals. The limitations of this source include the fact that it lacks an author it is harder to verify the statistics.

Whiteside, Alan. "The Economic Impact of AIDS." HIV/AIDS in South Africa. By Cheryl Baxter, et al. Ed. Q. Abdool Karim and S.S. Abdool Karim. 2005. New York City: Cambridge, 2008. 405-18. Print.

This source is a printed book that was republished by Cambridge Press in 2008. The origins of this source are wide and varied. Many experts on South African HIV/AIDS from around the world contributed to this work. One section in particular, “The Economic Impact of AIDS”, is extremely relevant to this investigation. It was written by Alan Whiteside, a professor and the Director of the Health Economics and HIV/AIDS Research Division at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The purpose of this section is to give information regarding the relationship between the economy and HIV/AIDS in South Africa. This source is valuable since it provides evidence of the relationship and numerical data. A limitation of the source is that mainly focuses on the late 1990’s and the early 2000’s. There is some information on the early 1990’s but it is relatively small.

D. Analysis

The content of this investigation is of extreme importance in its historical context. It concerns the well-being and quality of life of a multitude of individuals. A disease such as HIV can have a huge impact on the lives of the infected. Their lives are considerably worsened and shortened due to the deadly disease. The economy also has a large influence on how an individual lives. The financial burdens that befall many people severely limit their lives. In numerous instances, luxuries are absent and necessities can barely be afforded. These two problems plagued lower-class South Africans and caused much suffering. This investigation can prove valuable because it can shed light on similar situations in other parts of the world, not only South Africa. The terrible cycle of poverty and disease affects humans from every corner of the globe and South Africa reflects that cycle. The evidence presented in the investigation reveals that there were bad living conditions in South Africa. These stemmed from a poor economy and a devastating disease that spread mercilessly. The question is about how those two aspects are related to each other. Out of the two factors, a poor economy came first. HIV/AIDS burst onto the scene in the early 1980’s. That is very recent when compared to when a class system was implemented in South Africa in 1948. The policy of apartheid was legal segregation of non-whites from the white minority. When the policy existed, a vast chasm was clear between the blacks and whites in the South Africa. Blacks generally experienced much worse living and economic conditions. Looking at those previous situations, it is clear that the economic strain spurred on the spread of HIV/AIDS. The stimulus occurred in more than one way. With no available jobs and a family to support, many women turned to sexual means to earn money. The desire to provide for one’s children is a strong motivator and so prostitution was prevalent in South Africa. HIV/AIDS can be contracted through intercourse and this proved to be a good pathway for transmission. Another aspect was the horrible medical care and facilities that poor South Africans had to endure. Sanitation was not held at a high standard, at least not at the facilities that the impoverished went to. The disease could have very easily spread by contact with infected bodily fluids. So, HIV/AIDS spread through this medium as well. Once HIV/AIDS established itself as a formidable force in South Africa it had pronounced effects on the economy. HIV/AIDS is a debilitating disease and when it grasps onto an individual it drains him/her completely. When the condition becomes too much for the victims they are unable to work. In addition, the sick’s family has to stay home to care for him/her or the sick goes to a hospital for treatment. Both actions cost the family money and time. Of course, the absence of workers had an adverse effect on the economy. The care and prevention of HIV/AIDs became a paramount effort. An influx of HIV patients into hospitals costs a lot of money. The overcrowding of hospitals shows that the economy was not up for such an event. In an effort to avoid the problems of caring and treating HIV/AIDS, prevention campaigns were launched. Educational programs were given and they weren’t free either. The aforementioned conclusions all have something in common, that is they only involved poor South Africans. Wealthy South Africans were definitely not hit as hard as the impoverished ones. Sectors of the economy that the rich reside in, such as banking, insurance, trade and tourism, grew. On the opposing side, sectors like agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and construction all shrunk. The distribution of wealth is extremely lopsided, as evidenced by the Gini coefficient of South Africa. The disparity in wealth in the past just led to an even bigger disparity later. It’s not true to say that HIV/AIDS had a detrimental effect on the economy, only on a portion of the economy.

E. Conclusion HIV/AIDS and the economy in South Africa did have a connection in the 1990’s.There existed a compounding problem since each factor substantially affected the other. HIV/AIDS amplified the dire economic situation for many South Africans while at the same time; the financial struggles led some South Africans to further spread the disease. So HIV/AIDS was influencing the economy to a large extent, but not completely. The disease caused the primary and secondary sectors of the economy to shrink, however, the tertiary sector actually grew. The disease ravaged the impoverished but left the rich untouched.

F. List of Sources

Bradshaw, Debbie, and Rob Dorrington. “AIDS-related Mortality in South Africa.” //HIV///‌//AIDS in South Africa//. By Cheryl Baxter. Ed. S.S. Abdool Karim and Q. Abdool Karim. New York City: Cambridge, 2008. 419-29. Print. Feinstein, Charles H. //An Economic History of South Africa//. New York City: Cambridge, 2005. Print. Thompson, Leonard. //A History of South Africa//. 3rd ed. New Haven: Yale UP, 2001. Print. Whiteside, Alan. “The Economic Impact of AIDS.” //HIV///‌//AIDS in South Africa//. By Cheryl Baxter, et al. Ed. Q. Abdool Karim and S.S. Abdool Karim. 2005. New York City: Cambridge, 2008. 405-18. Print. D, Seftel. “AIDS and Apartheid: Double Trouble.” //PubMed.gov//. NCBI, n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2010. . “South Africa.” //The Global Fund//. N.p., 2010. Web. 2 Sept. 2010. . “The Impact of HIV & AIDS in Africa.” //Avert//. Avert, 3 Aug. 2010. Web. 2 Sept. 2010. .