ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the study that was conducted in Mkamba village, Kilombero district, Tanzania in 2004–2005. The overall aim of the study was to analyse how social change including intensive migration into Mkamba area contributes to susceptibility to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and vulnerability to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) at community and household level. The study employed a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative methods used included open-ended interviews with key informants, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with case studies. In-depth interviews with respondents in the case-study households sought to examine perceptions and experiences of households and individuals in coping with insecurities and the challenges of daily life, particularly prolonged illness, death, food insecurity and poverty. The Mkamba case clearly illustrates how the socio-economic context shapes the dynamics of HIV transmission, as well as the impacts of responses to AIDS.
