HIV means The Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, is the virus that causes HIV infection. During HIV infection, the virus attacks and destroys the infection-fighting CD4 cells of the body’s immune system. Loss of CD4 cells makes it difficult for the immune system to fight infections. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, is the most advanced stage of HIV infection. (www.aidsinfo.nih.gov/guidelines; retrieved on 12/12/2012)

According to Dyk (2008), “AIDS is a short form of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. We say that this disease is acquired because it is not a disease that is inherited. It is caused by virus (the Human Immunodeficiency Virus HIV) that enters the body from the outside. Immunity is the body’s natural ability to defend itself against infection and disease. A deficiency is shortcoming-the weakening of the immune system so that it can no longer defend itself against passing infections. A syndrome is a medical term for a collection of specific signs and symptoms that occur together and that are characterized of particular conditions.”

Hill at el; (2002) argued that; “HIV is the virus which attacks the T-cells in the immune system.
AIDS is the syndrome which appears in advanced stages of HIV infection.  HIV is a virus. AIDS is a medical condition.

Generally, AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is a disease caused by a virus called HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). The illness alters the immune system, making people much more vulnerable to infections and diseases. This susceptibility worsens as the disease progresses.

HIV is found in the body fluids of an infected person (semen and vaginal fluids, blood and breast milk). The virus is passed from one person to another through blood-to-blood and sexual contact. In addition, infected pregnant women can pass HIV to their babies during pregnancy, delivering the baby during childbirth, and through breast feeding.

HIV/AIDS is a major development crisis that affects all sectors. HIV/AIDS epidemic has spread relentlessly and affecting people in all walks of life and decimating the most productive segments of the population particularly women and men. The followings are different perspectives of HIV/AIDS illness on how it affects our nation;

The HIV/AIDS lead to absenteeism from workplaces; It also accelerate deaths reflects the early manifestation of the epidemic leaving behind suffering and grief. Others include lowering of life expectancy, increasing the dependency ratio, reducing growth in GDP, reduction in productivity, increasing poverty, raising infant and child mortality as well as the growing numbers of orphans.

(The National Policy on HIV/AIDS; 2011)

The children under the age of ten years bear the brunt of the impact of AIDS and for them the impact is much longer lasting than for adults. The epidemic is a serious threat to the country’s social and economic development and has serious and direct implications on the social services and welfare. Given the high HIV prevalence in the society, and in the absence of cure, the devastating impact of the epidemic is incomprehensible. (The National Policy On HIV/AIDS; 2011)

It accelerates poverty in most societies in Tanzania; HIV/AIDS influences the spread and impact of poverty. In many ways it creates vulnerability to HIV infection, causes rapid progression of the infection in the individual due to malnutrition and limits access to social and health care services.

It lead to the economical stagnation; HIV/AIDS influence the economical setback as it leads to death of the economically active segments of the society and bread winners leading to reduction in income or production. The human capital loss has serious social and economic development in all sectors and at all levels. Ultimately the high cost of care and burials leave heavy burden on the already overburdened households, orphans and dependants, people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs) and vulnerability to HIV infection. Therefore the ‘poverty factor’ at the household level has to be addressed simultaneously with the National efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic. (The National Police on HIV/AIDS; 2011)

It leads the demise/loss of productive labour force; ESRF; (2004) A study on the impact of HIV/AIDS on agricultural performance in Ulanga and Kilombero districts reveals that the death in the household and time taken to take care of HIV/AIDS related problems have negatively impacted on agricultural productivity. Duration of HIV/AIDS related illness covered a total of 479 man-days, which were equivalent to a loss of agricultural labour force of 20 farming households. Putting it differently, 20 farming households could not attend their farming activities at all in the last 6 months prior to the survey due to illnesses related to HIV/AIDS pandemic. Further, a total of 533 man-days were used to attend and/or care for HIV/AIDS patients. This is equivalent to a loss of productive labour force of 23 households in 6 months.

It cause Lower life expectancy; the trend in most developing countries is towards older people out numbering younger people, but the decrease in life expectancy caused by the AIDS epidemic means that the reverse will remain true in sub-Saharan African countries like Tanzania. By 2020, nearly 90 per cent of the world’s children aged fewer than 15 will be living in developing countries. As a consequence, the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on children and families will be much more severe in these countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, there will be twelve times as many children under 15 as adults over 64. This is likely to lead to increased dependency ratios within households (Graiger  at.el; 2001)

It increases the rates of orphaning; as many parents dies and leave their children, the number of orphans increases. According to UNICEF and UNAIDS 1999 argued that “By the end of 2000, 13million children, 10.4 million of them aged under 15 will have lost their mother or both parents.” This is what we experience now in Tanzania because the numbers of orphans are increasing and the centre of orphans care increases day to day. The burden now sent to the government as fails to help them to acquire their basic education (Hill  at.el; 2002).

It leads to the demise in the number of teachers and quality of education; HIV/AIDS impacts not only on the ‘demand’ for education, but also on the supply. A World Bank study in Tanzania projected that 14,460 teachers would die from AIDS by 2010, costing US$21 million in training for replacements. Furthermore, policies intended to support children affected by HIV/AIDS, such as Uganda’s introduction of free primary education for all children, have overstretched the education system and dramatically reduced the quality of education available to all children. In addition, anecdotal reports suggest that parents may be claiming that (Graiger at. al; 2001)

Loss of productivity due to the deaths of health workers; The health workers who died had been in service for periods ranging from less than a year to 44 years. Half of those who died had worked for between one year and 16 years. The large majority of the deaths (70%) were among those who had worked between 10 and 24 years. It is apparent therefore that the health services are losing health workers who have many years of working experience, especially among the males (Mhondwa and Fimbo; 2006)

It increases the number of dependents ratio; HIV/AIDS affects the welfare of households through illness and death of family members, which in turn leads to the diversion of resources from savings and investments into care. The HSRC has argued that it is expected that the premature death of large numbers of the adult population, typically at ages when they have already started families and become economically productive, can have a radical effect on virtually every aspect of social and economic life. This is clearly indicated by an increase in the number of dependents relying on smaller numbers of productive household members and increasing numbers of children left behind to be raised by grandparents or as child-headed households (Hill at el; 2002)

 It cause the child labour and street beggars; Intensive use of child labour increases as a major strategy typically used by the afflicted household during care provision. Children may be taken out of school to fill labour and income gaps created when productive adults become ill or are caring for terminally ill household’s members or are deceased. Drawing from another study in Tanzania, Rugalema confirms that the illness affects time allocation, puts pressure on children to work, divert household cash and the disposal of household productive assets. HIV/AIDS is therefore an impoverishing process that leads to other problems such as malnutrition, inaccessibility to health care, increased child mortality and hence intergenerational poverty. (Hill at.el; 2002)

Bollinger. at el; (2009), argued that;  HIV/AIDS leads to the hardship and highly life costs; the direct costs of AIDS include expenditures for medical care, drugs, and funeral expenses indirect costs include lost time due to illness, recruitment and training costs to replace workers, and care of orphans. If costs are financed out of savings, then the reduction in investment could lead to a significant reduction in economic growth. The economy Tanzania is heavily based on agriculture, particularly subsistence farming. By 1996, 83% of the labor force was still employed in agriculture, with the sector contributing 52% of GDP. The main cash crops are coffee, cotton, cashew nuts, and cloves. Food crops include cassava and maize, along with cattle rearing. Very little mining activity exists, while the small amount of manufacturing activity consists mostly of food processing and textiles. The services sector was the second largest US$170 in 1996

It leads to the demise of Government Health Facilities; Hospital Based Data indicate that up to 50% of beds are occupied by patients with HIV/AIDS related illness. Consequently the demand for care and hospital supplies is enormous and by-and-large government health facilities are facing inadequate funding and manpower. It is estimated that in Tanzania the ideal lifetime and nursing-care costs for HIV/AIDS is US $ 290 for adults and US$ 195 for children. Gains made during 1980's in TB control have been lost due to HIV/AIDS. TB case rates had been declining steadily up to 1982 but since then there has been a sharp increase the number of reported TB cases and in most urban areas these have more than doubled (tacaids report-2007)

Failure for the government to provide other social services in a good manner rather than helping those HIV/AIDS victims; The health sector in particular is experiencing an increased demand for its services, as AIDS patients occupy an ever-increasing number of beds in hospitals. And given illness episodes per AIDS patient, the public expenditure on AIDS treatment is high. In the education sector we find children pulled out of school either due to a lack of money or needed to help at home. The social welfare sector is experiencing a large increase of AIDS orphans.

Generally; Women frequently are carrying a double burden of generating income outside the home and for care giving as well as maintaining family land. In this regard, women are responsible for caring for sick members of the household, for childcare, as well as being heavily involved in generating money and supplying food for their households through agricultural production.

REFERENCES:

The National Police on HIV/AIDS; (2011)

Dyk A.V.(2008) HIV/AIDS Care and Counselling, 4^th edition. Maskew Miller Longman (pty) ltd

ESRF; (2004) The Impact of HIV/AIDS on Food Poverty in Rural Tanzania: The Case of Ludewa District. Final Report

Grainger C. (2001) Children Affected by HIV/AIDS: Rights and responses in the developing world. Working Paper Number 23

Bollinger L. (1999) The Economic Impact of AIDS in Tanzania. Research Triangle Institute (RTI), Tanzania

Ruhweza A. (2002) The Impact of HIV/AIDS on Education and Institutionalizing Preventive Education. International Institute for Education Planning/UNESCO, Paris.

Muhondwa E.P.Y and Fimbo B.N (2006) Impact of HIV/AIDS On Human Resources for Health In Tanzania. ECSA Health Community, Arusha.

Tacaids Report, 2007

www.aidsinfo.nih.gov/guidelines