HIV/AIDS: Crippling economic growth in India

April 19, 2005

Crippling growth

Check Aids before it is too late

Posted online: Monday, April 18, 2005 at 0047 hours IST

In saying that HIV/Aids will have a negative impact on the Indian

economy, the report released by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and

Industry (PHDCCI) hasn't said anything new. However, it does not

take away from the fact that it is an issue India needs to keep in

mind while trying to tackle HIV/Aids. For—as is being pointed out

time and again by economists, researchers, even governments—the

HIV/Aids scourge, apart from being a serious health issue, also

threatens economic growth. And all nations, especially those dealing

with the huge numbers affected by HIV/Aids, need to keep this in

mind and check its spread before it is too late. This is

particularly so for developing countries like India, already

battling poverty, illiteracy, lack of adequate healthcare

facilities, unemployment, poor infrastructure and now the Aids

epidemic.

With approximately 5.1 million people in the country suspected to

have fallen victim to HIV/Aids—the numbers are second in the world,

below only South Africa—its effect on the economy will be

debilitating in the years to come. The PHDCCI report notes that were

it not for HIV/Aids, India's gross national product would be 170%

higher by 2025 than in 2000. It also says that in terms of its

impact on industry, the problem is aggravated, since the disease

hits those who are in the most productive phase of their working

life.

According to a World Bank report, HIV/Aids destroys human capital

selectively, by damaging the health of the most productive members

of society. It is time governments the world over began treating

HIV/Aids as more than just a health issue. For India, eager to

increase its growth rate and pushing ahead with reforms, there is no

time or reason to be complacent. Governments, both at the Centre and

state levels, non-governmental organisations and corporates need to

work in a more concerted manner and with a sense of urgency. It's

time to take the bull by the horns. Else, it might be too late.

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