Development Policy Must Recognize AIDS Effects

By Jackie Jacobsen

Vulnerable countries were heartened recently by the Midterm Comprehensive Review, released by the Secretary-General on July 21, which hailed these nations for their economic progress and continued commitment to accomplishing the Millennium Development Goals. Aided by the assistance of the Brussels Programme, this group of 50 least developed nations has now increased their economic growth by 7%. The Brussels Programme serves as a framework by which vulnerable countries seek to incorporate the MDGs into their national platforms. Most encouraging are growth rate of exports, which in 2005 increased by 25.9%, up from 0.2% in 2001, enabled by the rise in commodity prices. Overall, vulnerable countries have experienced higher economic growth than most developing countries.

Economic growth rates were not the only developments hailed by this UN report. Observers have noted the tendency of vulnerable nations to adopt more effective macroeconomic policies, such as privatizing larger sections of their economies and liberalizing their markets to better compete in global trade. More caution has also been applied to the accumulation of national deficits, which in turn has kept inflation from stagnating economic growth. These improvements are critical steps in creating a better standard of living for the nearly 700 million people who currently live in the least developed countries.

There remain, however, considerable challenges to effectively reducing the number of individuals living in absolute poverty in these areas. Although nearly 35 LDCs have submitted at least one Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper to the IMF and World Bank, implementing adequate policy measures to achieve this goal have been more difficult.
\nIt is now thought unlikely that LDCs will meet the MDG timeline in halving their poverty rates by 2015. While vulnerable nations have made strides in strengthening their economies and fortifying their governance, the shadow of the AIDS virus continues to jeopardize development. When whole societies are ravaged by this disease, economic prosperity and governmental stability are thus endangered. Now, global leaders are encouraged to tackle the AIDS epidemic, while working to curtail its spillover effects onto other policy areas. Recognizing that attaining the Millennium Development Goals cannot occur without understanding the full impact of the AIDS epidemic, policy makers now concede that development cannot occur independently of AIDS programs. This new policy of "mainstreaming AIDS" underscores the willingness of leaders to acknowledge the confluence of the AIDS epidemic and faltering development policies.

Mainstreaming occurs in both internal and external spheres. Government agencies and bureaus are encouraged to stem the spread of the virus within their own offices, while incorporating this message into their external work in neighboring communities and towns. In this way, government disruption will be less likely to occur, and its ability to deliver services will remain uninterrupted. The UN suggests that focus groups and task teams also be extensively utilized, so that progress on this front can be closely monitored by all parties. Currently, most PRSPs do not cumulate the correlation between poverty and AIDS infection rates. Incredibly, few connections are made to dwindling production capacities or the high percentage of unskilled workers entering the economy." It is now thought unlikely that LDCs will meet the MDG timeline in halving their poverty rates by 2015.

While vulnerable nations have made strides in strengthening their economies and fortifying their governance, the shadow of the AIDS virus continues to jeopardize development. When whole societies are ravaged by this disease, economic prosperity and governmental stability are thus endangered. Now, global leaders are encouraged to tackle the AIDS epidemic, while working to curtail its spillover effects onto other policy areas. Recognizing that attaining the Millennium Development Goals cannot occur without understanding the full impact of the AIDS epidemic, policy makers now concede that development cannot occur independently of AIDS programs.

This new policy of "mainstreaming AIDS" underscores the willingness of leaders to acknowledge the confluence of the AIDS epidemic and faltering development policies. Mainstreaming occurs in both internal and external spheres. Government agencies and bureaus are encouraged to stem the spread of the virus within their own offices, while incorporating this message into their external work in neighboring communities and towns. In this way, government disruption will be less likely to occur, and its ability to deliver services will remain uninterrupted. The UN suggests that focus groups and task teams also be extensively utilized, so that progress on this front can be closely monitored by all parties.

Currently, most PRSPs do not cumulate the correlation between poverty and AIDS infection rates. Incredibly, few connections are made to dwindling production capacities or the high percentage of unskilled workers entering the economy.

By compiling statistics on HIV infection and macroeconomic indicators, global policy makers hope that leaders of LDCs will become increasingly cognizant of the full devastation wreaked by the AIDS virus onto their societies, and will be more inclined to instigate far-reaching policies in every sector to combat its spread. Further inclusion of civil society actors is also promoted by the new development strategy. Governance in least developed states, while improving, still does not have the capacity to reach all citizens. Civil society organizations, such as churches, mosques, and schools, can do much to bridge this gap and educate societies on the prevention of AIDS. By limiting the reaches of this disease, the UN hopes that the economies of all vulnerable states will be further invigorated, the capacity to govern will grow stronger, and citizens of the LDCs will at last attain a viable standard of living.

By compiling statistics on HIV infection and macroeconomic indicators, global policy makers hope that leaders of LDCs will become increasingly cognizant of the full devastation wreaked by the AIDS virus onto their societies, and will be more inclined to instigate far-reaching policies in every sector to combat its spread.

Further inclusion of civil society actors is also promoted by the new development strategy. Governance in least developed states, while improving, still does not have the capacity to reach all citizens. Civil society organizations, such as churches, mosques, and schools, can do much to bridge this gap and educate societies on the prevention of AIDS. By limiting the reaches of this disease, the UN hopes that the economies of all vulnerable states will be further invigorated, the capacity to govern will grow stronger, and citizens of the LDCs will at last attain a viable standard of living.