Zambia While rich in wildlife and scenery such as the spectacular Victoria Falls, economically-speaking Zambia is one of the poorest countries in the world. Contributing to Zambia’s poverty is the high rate of HIV and AIDS among its population.
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Jump to the Top of the Page Zambia COUNTRY UPDATE HIV and AIDS is one of the biggest development challenges facing Zambia. It has become the major cause of illness and death among young and middle-aged people there. Zambia also has one of the highest incidences of poverty in the world with 68 per cent of the population living below the national poverty line. HIV and AIDS is making it much more difficult for Zambia to fight these high levels of poverty. It deprives families and communities of people of working age, meaning they lose their income. The disease has the potential to reverse the social and economic gains the country is striving to make. The Zambian Government takes HIV and AIDS very seriously, and has labeled it a national emergency. Since the first case of HIV was identified in Zambia in the 1980s, the country has done much to combat it. In fact, many of the initiatives now practiced throughout the developing world began in Zambia, such as home-based care, tackling the psychosocial impact of HIV and AIDS and the public declaration of people living with HIV and AIDS to fight stigma. Yet the fact remains that around 17 per cent of the Zambian population between the ages of 15-49 is HIV positive. UNDP’s 2007 Zambia Human Development Report says the key in responding to this challenge is to place the household at the centre of Zambia's HIV and AIDS response. The households of HIV positive people feel the immediate impacts of the disease and carry the greatest burden, but are also the primary unit for coping with it. World Vision has many strategies for combating HIV. First, an Area Development Programme raises awareness about HIV and AIDS and educates the community, so that the facts about transmission, prevention, care and treatment are known. Campaigns about HIV prevention make people aware of what sort of behaviour puts them at risk and the steps they can take to protect themselves from infection. Voluntary counselling and testing services are put in place and psychosocial counsellors are trained in palliative care. Support groups for people living with HIV are set up. World Vision also helps people access antiretroviral therapy. As a child-focused organisation, World Vision pays particular attention to the children who are left behind when family members die of AIDS. The ADP ensures that orphans and vulnerable children receive the support they need – be it school fees, stationery, food or shelter. In the long term, World Vision aims to make education about HIV the norm. In Nakonde ADP, which began in 1995 and is closing this year, HIV and AIDS education has been integrated into the school syllabus. UNDP Human Development Report 2007/2008
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