HIV/Aids: What are the implications for humanitarian action? a
literature review
By: (HPG), ODI (Source: Eldis)
Date: 2003-08-29
   
 
 
This report reviews the growing literature on HIV/Aids and food
security, examines where emergency relief should be situated within
the wider response to the HIV/Aids epidemic and considers how
humanitarian aid agencies need to take HIV/Aids into account in the
programming of emergency aid.

The report considers the complex relationships between HIV/Aids and
food security and that in order to capture the diversity and
complexity of the interactions between HIV/Aids and food security, a
clear conceptual model is needed.

The report builds on existing literature to examine the interactions
using the sustainable livelihoods framework, stating that HIV/Aids
must be considered across the full spectrum of the framework. It
increases levels of vulnerability, impacts on the assets of
households, affects the policies, institutions and processes that
influence livelihoods, forces adaptations to livelihood strategies
and results in changing livelihood outcomes. At a macro
level it reduces overall levels of economic growth, erodes the
ability of governments to provide public services such as health and
education and may potentially impact on governance and security
issues.

The author outlines the relevant literature and states that it is a
long way from reflecting the impact of HIV/AIDS on the diverse range
of activities and income sources of the
poor. It also states that most attention is paid to household level
analysis, rather than considering the macro level impacts on
institutions.

As well as covering the literature on HIV and food security, the
document asks two further questions and looks at work done towards
them to date:

* HIV/AIDS and humanitarian crises: what is the role for emergency
relief in the overall response to HIV/AIDS?
* Humanitarian programming: current practice in dealing with HIV/AIDS
and towards identifying good practice
[Adapted from author]