Livelihood Risk from HIV in Semi-Arid Tropics of Rural Andhra Pradesh

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Livelihood Risk from HIV in Semi-Arid Tropics of Rural Andhra

Pradesh

Authors: B. Valentine ph Gandhi, M. Serquiña Bantilan, and

Devanathan Parthasarathy.April 2008

WIDER Research Paper, Volume: 2008/49

This paper discusses the livelihood dynamics in the fragile

landscape of the semi arid tropics (SAT) of Andhra Pradesh. SAT is

home to the poorest of the poor who live in conditions of persistent

drought, subsistence agriculture and poor access to markets. This

paper is a case study focusing particularly on labour migration, its

role in influencing the health risk behaviour of migrants and in the

spread of the HIV epidemic among SAT rural households.

The most vulnerable population in these drought prone regions are

the migrant labourers, and their vulnerability is influenced by

three major factors—the vulnerability and unstable productivity in

the degraded and marginal landscape, the caste system that has

traditionally kept them backward and vulnerable, and experiences in

the external environment to which they migrate. This study—based on

a theoretical framework, whereby livelihood risks lead to health

risks, particularly HIV infection—outlines the process that causes a

further deterioration of the household and the occurrence of

cyclical health risk.

The paper calls for a multisectoral approach to tackle the issue of

migrant vulnerability, and for interventions with a more migrant-

need sensitive approach.

http://www.wider.unu.edu/publications/working-papers/research-papers/2008/en_GB/\

rp2008-49/_files/79269858142192504/default/rp2008-49.pdf