The role of governments in the fight against HIV/ AIDS in Southern Africa: a case study of South Africa.

Abstract

HIV/ AIDS is a deadly disease that needs to be addressed with immediate effect before serious damage can occur. Because the government has a responsibility over the health of its citizens, everybody expects the government to take a lead in the fight against this epidemic and from the look of things the government's strategies are not making the desired impact on the epidemic. The author attempts to highlight that the South African government has not played a satisfactory role in the fight against this pandemic, which threatens to alter history to a degree not seen in the world. Antenatal data and recent mortality rate bear testimony to this argument. The researcher has used a mixture of informal and formal unstructured and semi-structured, open-ended interviews with students who come from different provinces and relevant government officials. Secondary sources were also used in this study. The impact of poverty on HIV/ AIDS is clearly explained. The study recommends that the programmes on HIV/AIDS be reviewed immediately. The responses to the epidemic must take into account circumstances under which the majority of the population lives. Failure to tackle situations that worsen poverty will make HIV/AIDS even more severe.