%0 Journal Article
%T A Qualitative Study of the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Agricultural Households in Southeastern Uganda
%A Dawn C. Parker
%A Kathryn H. Jacobsen
%A Maction K. Komwa
%J International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
%D 2009
%I MDPI AG
%R 10.3390/ijerph6082113
%X The HIV/AIDS pandemic threatens economic, social, and environmental sustainability throughout sub-Saharan Africa. This paper reports on a qualitative study exploring interrelationships between HIV/AIDS, labor availability, agricultural productivity, household resources, food consumption, and health status in rural southeastern Uganda. Respondents reported an increase in widow-and-orphan-headed households; labor shortages due to illness and caretaking; degradation of household resources from health-related expenses; loss of land tenure and assets following deaths, especially for widows and orphans; and changes in agricultural practices and productivity. Our study highlights a potential downward spiral of livelihood degradation for vulnerable households and suggests targeted interventions to improve sustainability.
%K HIV/AIDS
%K agriculture
%K food security
%K sustainability
%U http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/6/8/2113