Influence of human immunodeficiency virus (Hiv) and aids Prevalence on the socio-economic wellbeing of fishermen in Fish landing beaches in Homabay county, Kenya

Abstract

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has negatively influenced the socio-economic wellbeing of affected countries. In 2020, the global economic impact of HIV/AIDS was estimated at a loss of $58 billion, with approximately 39 million individuals living with the condition and 630,000 deaths attributed to AIDS-related illnesses in 2022. HIV/AIDS reduces labor productivity due to illness, absenteeism, and premature death. The HIV/AIDS prevalence in Homa Bay County is almost 4 times higher (15.2%) than the countrywide HIV/AIDS prevalence, which stood 4% in 2023 when this study was conducted. This study sought to assess how the high incidence of HIV and AIDS in fish landing beaches in Homa Bay County affected the socio-economic well-being in the region. The study focused on three distinct objectives which sought to estimate the impact of HIV/AIDS on productivity and efficiency, human capital, costs of healthcare expenditure on the socio-economic wellbeing of fish landing beaches in Homa Bay County, Kenya. This study was directed by human capital theory and the neoclassical economic theory. The study used a mixed approach. The research adopted both descriptive and cross-sectional research designs. Purposive sampling was employed to identify the study area while simple random sampling techniques were utilized to select the study participants. A total of 178 households were sampled for this study. The researcher employed a questionnaire, a key informant interview schedule, and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) guide to collect data. The research indicated that HIV/AIDS adversely affected the productivity of fishermen. Findings indicates that fishermen living with HIV/AIDS and also on ARVs were not as physically strong as their healthy counterparts. This contributed to reduced fish catch. The inefficiency was hard to avoid as many fishermen concealed their HIV status or looked healthy and were always ready to go fishing despite their physical weakness. The effects of HIV/AIDS on the health and well-being of fishermen has resulted in reduced productivity at the fish landing beaches in Homa Bay. Available human capital at the fish landing beaches was not healthy which resulted in lower productivity as laborers were weak and were not robust enough physically and mentally to produce expected fish catch within a given timeframe. HIV/AIDS-related healthcare expenditure at individual and household levels had the greatest influence on socio-economic wellbeing because the affected individuals and household lost their purchasing power after losing their jobs, both their lifesaving and assets to HIV/AIDS treatment and care as they fought to save their own lives or the lives of one or more infected members of their households. This was made worse by the high cost of healthcare and low income among the fishing communities at the fish landing beaches along the shores of Lake Vitoria. It was recommended that the government of Kenya should intensify their efforts to combat new infection which was found to be driven by illiteracy, cash flow and rampant prostitution because which was in turn fueled by the fact that people didn’t know each other due the immigration from other parts of the country and even illegal cross-borders immigration.