Potential impact of adjustment policies on vulnerability of women and children to HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa

Structural adjustment policies increase women's and children's vulnerability to HIV/AIDS

By: De Vogli R & Birbeck GL
Produced by: Centre for Health and Population Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) , 2005

This article evaluates the potential impact of the IMF and WB adjustment policies on women's and children’s vulnerability to HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa through connecting changes at the macro level with effects at the meso and micro levels.

The study finds that adjustment policies may inadvertently produce conditions facilitating women's and children’s exposure to HIV/AIDS. In particular, it finds that certain components of adjustment reforms, such as currency devaluation and trade liberalisation, may produce mixed effects on the vulnerability of women and children to HIV/AIDS. Other reforms, such as financial liberalisation, removal of food subsidies, and introduction of user fees for healthcare and education have a negative impact on the spread of the epidemic among poor women and children.