ABSTRACT
The spread and varied impacts of HIV/AIDS tragically demonstrate the complex and reciprocal relationships between the biophysical and socio-political dimensions of human health. Within sub-Saharan Africa, academic and policy research has worked to detail the consequences of the disease for demographic patterns, national economies, and gender dynamics (Drimie 2003; de Waal and Whiteside 2003; Love 2004; Negin 2005; Barnett and Whiteside 2006; Masanjala 2007; UNAIDS 2008; Bolton and Talman 2010). HIV/AIDS has been called a “major threat to development, economic growth and poverty alleviation in much of Africa” (Whiteside 2002: 313) and “the major development issue facing sub-Saharan Africa” (Drimie 2003: 647). Current studies predict a dire future for agricultural production suggesting that increasing food insecurity will make human populations even more vulnerable to infection and reduce the lifespan of infected individuals (de Waal and Whiteside 2003; Bolton and Talman 2010). Other work has documented the livelihood impacts for individuals and households suffering from the disease while considering its diverse trajectories for economies, extractive industries, and natural resource dependencies (Love 2004; Negin 2005; Barnett and Whiteside 2006; Masanjala 2007). In addition to the substantial social impacts, recent research has shown that the spread of HIV/AIDS is also transforming ecological systems, either in terms of intensifying pressures upon the natural resource base (Hunter et al. 2008; Kaschula 2008) or threatening ecosystem functioning (Aldhous 2007; McGarry and Shackleton 2009).
