DOUBLE DISASTER: CLIMATE CHANGE AND HIV

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DOUBLE DISASTER CLIMATE CHANGE AND HIV AIDS
WREAK HAVOC IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

• An Oxfam GB Presentation at the XVII IAC
• Mexico City, 6th August 2008
• By
• Wasai J Nanjakululu
• Director, Global HIV and AIDS Programme
• Oxfam, Global Centre of Learning on HIV and AIDS

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DOUBLE DISASTER

• 30 of the worlds HIV live in Southern Africa
• Average HIV prevalence for pregnant women for 10
  countries in S.A is 22.8
• HIV and AIDS is a declared national disaster as
• 10,474,785 poor people affected by severe drought
• 35,194,435 affected by flooding over the last
  10yrs in six countries of S.A (Ang,Moz,Mal,Zam,
  Zim S.A)
• 250 m people in Africa projected to face water
  shortages by 2020
• Crop yields estimated to fall by 20 by 2050 with
  some countries loosing up to 50

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AREAS PROJECTED TO SUFFER YIELD REDUCTION IN
AFRICA
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PAYING THE PRICE FOR BEING POOR

• CC AIDS hit the poor hardest
• Africa responsible for minute fraction of carbon
  emissions (e.g study shows average Ugandan
  responsible for 0.07 metric ton of c.e, US-is
  20.4 p.a)
• HIV AIDS make people vulnerable to CC and CC
  make people vulnerable to HIV AIDS
• Water shortages mean increased risks of PLHIV
  contracting OIs

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Cont

• Diarrhoea due to unsafe drinking water
  responsible for 5million death annually (90
  children)
• By 2030, incidences of diarrhoea will have
  increased by 10 in regions like S.A
• As temperatures rise more areas will become
  endemic to malaria, one of the many lethal
  infections in S.A
• Food poverty with attendant risks of bartering
  sex for food hence risk HIV infec

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Cont.

• Prevention programmes disrupted
• PLHIV cut off from medical supplies
• Burden on women and children increased (looking
  for water, firewood, caring for the sick etc)
• Risk of young girls (13yr olds) marrying early to
  escape hunger, risking HIV infection

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Cont.

• By 2002, Burundi had 600,000 orphans, many as a
  result of war, but 230,000 lost parents due AIDS
• In Burundi children witnessed violent attacks,
  rapes
• Breakdown of social order let to many girls and
  women being raped

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LACK OF FOOD HIV INFECTION IN BOTSWANA
SWAZILAND

• Increased proportion of Women reporting lack of
  sufficient food to eat
• 80 increased odds of selling sex for money or
  resources
• 70 increased odds of engaging in unprotected sex
  and reporting lack of sex control
• 50 increased odds of intergenerational sex

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CHALLENGES IN TACKLING CC HIV AND AIDS

• Difficulties in understanding AIDS as a disaster
  like any traditional disasters
• National disaster response mechanisms that do not
  consider AIDS a disaster
• Tendency to focus on the immediate disaster and
  not factor in the endemic disaster of AIDS
• Not much knowledge exists on linkages btn CC
  AIDS

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Cont

• Paying lip service to multisectoral response to
  HIV AIDS
• In context of poverty, AIDS response has been
  overwhelmed by the many fronts it needs to fight
  the pandemic
• The argument of competing priorities by
  governments
• Just how much response to AIDS is enough?

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR TACKLING CC HIV AND AIDS

• National Adaptation Progs of Action (NAPs)
• National HIV and AIDS response strategies
• NACCs and National disaster response mechanisms
  collaborating
• New research to better understand and therefore
  address CC impact on AIDS
• Funding mechanisms of both disasters taking
  account of each other

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Most affected country development plans and AIDS
  strategies take into account CC
• Develop NAPs from an HIV lens
• CC adaptation go beyond technologies to address
  impact on vulnerable groups,PLHIV
• Funding mechanisms of both disasters must
  consider impact of both on the poor
• Countries must mainstream AIDS response in
  disaster reduction strategies/preparednes

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RICH COUNTRIES MUST..

• CC does not get any worse!-set ambitious
  reductions-25-40 by 2020 compared to 1990 levels
• Fund the most urgent,immediate needs in most
  vulnerable countries with at least 50bn in
  adaptation finance
• Stop wavering on HIV and AIDS commitments

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THANK YOUfor further info contact

• Gcolenquiries_at_oxfam.org.uk