Skip to content Skip to navigation
One of the most important influences on change in the population is AIDS. Never in history has there been a human catastrophe of such proportions! The life expectancy of the total population decreases, children in their thousands become orphans, poverty increases, production in almost all sectors of the economy decreases, etc. Africa is the continent that has been affected the most, and South Africa has not been spared the catastrophy! As a whole, we are approaching a point where populations decrease instead of growth taking place.
1. Population
To ascertain the influence of AIDS on the population, it is necessary to look at a description of the population.
 |
2. The ideal situation for which South Africa is striving
“A large portion of the South African population is poor and not adequately literate. South Africa must therefore make a serious attempt to alleviate poverty and bring literacy to an acceptable level. Another ideal for which to strive is to improve health services and to control population growth. Our resources, for example water, are limited.
As you will be able to deduce from the graph below, life expectancy has risen as a result of improved sanitation and medical care and the growth in population has decreased during the 20 years ranging between 1980 and 2000. The decrease in population growth can be ascribed partly to urbanisation. In South Africa the population has changed from a youthful population (with a rapid increase) to a more acceptable adult population with limited increase.
 |
South Africa: Growth between 1980 and 2000
Southern African Development Community (SADC): Life expectancy in years
 |
. . . . . . . . . and then the HIV/AIDS epidemic broke out. People who speak about the pandemic, rather than epidemic, are actually right, because the disease occurs right across the country, the continent and the rest of the world!
Aids: what does this mean?
3. Statistics
The incidence of HIV/AIDS in South Africa is disturbing .
 |
Figure 4: A previous projection of HIV positive South Africans in the age group 15 to 59 years of age.
| 2001 | 2010 | |||
| WithAIDS | WithoutAIDS | WithAIDS | WithoutAIDS | |
| Botswana | 39,3 | 70,5 | 29,0 | 73,2 |
| Ethiopia | 45,2 | 56,1 | 42,1 | 60,1 |
| Kenya | 48,0 | 64,9 | 44,3 | 68,4 |
| South Africa | 49,0 | 65,7 | 35,5 | 68,3 |
| Swaziland | 40,4 | 57,7 | 29,7 | 61,5 |
| Zimbabwe | 37,8 | 69,9 | 32,5 | 72,8 |
| Zambia | 37,2 | 58,7 | 38,9 | 72,8 |
Life expectancy in some African states
 |
AIDS orphans (under 15 years of age)
HOW SERIOUS IS THE HIV/AIDS CATASTROPHE REALLY ?
Health reporter , Cape Town
The role of poverty
The light-hearted argument about who came first, the hen or the egg, can be used when discussing the spread of AIDS, because poverty leads to the spread of the illness, while the illness adds to the enormous problem of poverty in South Africa.
The sick breadwinner is unable to earn money for the employer and can also not contribute money for the family’s needs, and also places an additional burden on the country’s health budget
Added to the terrible living conditions of many poor South Africans, is poor education and ignorance. This often leads to irresponsible behaviour. Unemployment results in people moving around in search of work and this contributes to the spread of the disease.
Another two aspects of poverty are that the patients’ chances of improved living conditions and better nutrition is just about impossible and on top of that the overcrowded houses and informal housing makes it impossible for the patient to improve his or her condition.
Who is affected?
It is mostly people in the 15 to 39-year age group that are HIV positive. They are also parents of young children who are often born HIV positive. But this age group is also economically the most active group in the community.
Although those who contract the virus most generally are in the 15 to 39-year age group, other age groups and groups other than the poor are not excluded from contracting the virus.
The management of social services
One aspect of the country’s management, specifically the management of social services, has to do with the care, or lack of care of the millions of AIDS orphans. According to some predictions, there will be no less than 2,5 million orphans under the age of 15 years by the year 2010! What is going to happen to these children? Who will look after them? How will they survive in an already poor community?
Infected and affected
Perhaps combating and management of the consequences of HIV/AIDS can be found in the word “affected”! One group of people are infected or run the risk of infection and will get the disease. The rest of us are affected – also those who think that they will never be infected.
Those that accept that they are affected will be part of the search for a solution.
And the solution?
People must change their behaviour. This means everyone! Someone who did not have the virus has said, “The solution of the problem begins with me.” What would he have meant by this?
From: Die Burger, 20 May 2002
Learners must use the information provided in the first five to six pages to be able to do the assignments that follow.
Enjoy reading and working on this research and thinking assignment! It will not always be easy! Consider the headings carefully when you are looking for information.
|
|
 |
 |
Provide your paragraph with an appropriate heading.
|
|||
We see many people wearing red ribbons. Why do they do this?
| Learning Outcomes(LOs) |
| LO 1 |
| GEOGRAPHICAL ENQUIRYThe learner will be able to use enquiry skills to investigate geographical and environmental concepts and processes. |
| Assessment standards(ASe) |
| We know this when the learner: |
| 1.2 organises and interprets information relevant to the enquiry from simple graphs, maps, and statistical sources [works with sources]; |
| 1.5 uses information to suggest answers, propose alternatives and possible solutions [answers the question]; |
| 1.6 reports on the inquiry using evidence from the sources including maps, diagrams and graphics; where possible uses computers in the presentation [communicates the answer]. |
| LO 3 |
| EXPLORING ISSUESThe learner will be able to make informed decisions about social and environmental issues and problems. |
| We know this when the learner: |
| 3.1 identifies challenges to societies and settlements, with focus on population growth and change [identifies the issue]; |
| 3.2 identifies the factors that contribute to population growth and change [factors affecting the issue]; |
| 3.3 identifies processes that affect population growth and change in various places [factors affecting the issue]; |
| 3.4 suggests ways of responding to issues associated with population growth and change in a particular context [makes choices]. |
Activity 1:
These numbers change from year to year.
2002 4 000 000 HIV+ 380 000 AID orphans
2003 4 700 000 HIV+ 450 000 AID orphans and so on. . . . . . .
Answers will differ, depending on the learner’s ability to read/understand statistics.
Small differences do not matter. The aim of the exercise is to give the learner an idea of the extent of the problem – and to let them find out about it themselves.
Activity 2:
 |
Activity 3:
South Africa: Growth between 1980 and 2000
 |
Activity 4:
If it is at all possible, the ideal would be to emphasise the positive, especially if a creative approach to the solution of the problems of HIV/AIDS can be found
Activity 5:
The aim of Activity 6 is to see whether the learner can interpret the concepts in the context of the South African situation. Words can be used in any order.
The skilled workforce fishes and the factories will have problems with production.
The purchasing power is reduced because money must be spent on medical care for family members.
When soldiers and policemen who are HIV positive become ill threats to the security of the country and crime will increase because there will be fewer of them.
The care of millions of orphans is a heavy burden on the remaining family members and the state
Activity 6:
Possibilities:
He/she must change their attitudes to the sickness/disease
She/he must do everything possible to resolve the problems
Activity 7:
New types of orphanages must be designed and built.
Activity 8:
People must be made aware of HIV/AIDS. It is a reality for all of us and not something that only affects other people.
More about this module: Metadata | Downloads | Version History
This work is licensed by Siyavula Uploaders under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 3.0), and is an Open Educational Resource.
Last edited by Siyavula Uploaders on May 11, 2009 3:47 pm GMT-5.
