HIV/AIDS and Its Implications for the Water and Sanitation Sector

• Source:

• Wegelin-Schuringa M, Kamminga E, de Graaf S. 2003. Harvey P, ed. Towards the Millenium Development Goals, 29th International Conference, Abuja, Nigeria: WED

• URL:

• http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/resources/conference/29/Wegelin-Schuringa.pdf

• Summary:

• For the Water and Sanitation sector, the HIV/AIDS epidemic jeopardizes the Millennium Development Goal to halve the proportion of people who are unable to reach or afford safe drinking water, as well as the benchmark set at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg to halve the number of people without access to improved sanitation. So far, the response of the water and sanitation sector to the HIV/AIDS epidemic has been limited; this article aims to explain the links between the sector and prevention and mitigation of HIV/AIDS, and the implications of HIV/AIDS on sector performance. In many affected countries, there is or will be a negative impact on the quantity and quality of services provided by the sector; budgets will be reduced because of a decreased tax base; sector staff performance will decline as a result of diminishing productivity and capacity; and community capacity to operate and maintain the systems will be reduced.