Employment: A Tool to Combat HIV, AIDS

Unemployment and HIV and AIDS have converged in Africa to create economic and social havoc. The population of young people 15–24 is growing, jobs are scarce, and HIV and AIDS are rampant.

A new report from EDC’s Health and Human Development (HHD) Programs sheds light on solutions to both youth unemployment and HIV and AIDS. The report, Involving Young People in Efforts to Combat HIV and AIDS in Africa: The Importance of Income-Generating Strategies, highlights innovative programs that address youth unemployment and youth involvement in HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, and care, and provides recommendations for action.

The report also provides an overview of the status of HIV and AIDS, predominant modes of transmission, and related social issues in Sub-Saharan Africa and describes the interrelationship of HIV and AIDS, economic development, poverty, and youth employment. Case examples show how organizations involve young people in prevention, treatment, and care services and offer models for compensating young people for their work.

Along with funding from EDC, support for this report came from the International Youth Foundation; the Altadena Rotary Charities, on behalf of Rotary Clubs of Zambia and the USA; and the U.S. Department of State. The publication was written by HHD staff along with Anthony Bloome from the U.S. Peace Corps.