HIV Households in Malawi (Lecture)

The majority of people in Sub-Saharan Africa rely on forest products for subsistence and to supplement their cash incomes. Sub-Saharan Africa also has the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the world. While the role of forest biodiversity as a safety net for the rural poor during times of crisis has been noted in studies across the developing world, the linkages between HIV/AIDS, poverty, and forests are not well understood. In particular, scholarly inquiry into the death of a productive household member due to HIV/AIDS, and the environmental ramifications of such an event on household livelihoods, has been lacking. This is an important research gap given the extent of prime-age adult mortality attributable to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. This presentation will introduce the complex social-ecological linkages on this topic, and present some findings based on qualitative data obtained through focus groups and interviews in four regions of Malawi.