AIDS and Zambia

Zambia has been particularly hard hit by the HIV epidemic and, combined with poverty, it is having a devastating impact on the country's economy and on the fabric of its society.

It is mostly people in the parent and teacher age group who are falling sick and dying - leaving thousands of orphans and vulnerable children, and crippling the education system.

But there are now signs that the rate of HIV infection is finally stabilising. That's why it's vital to keep up the pressure on the disease through every means possible. Research has shown that one of the most effective means of doing this is through education.

More on HIV, AIDS and their impact on Zambia

The slowly growing Zambian economy has enabled the government to get medicines to more of those infected by HIV. These medicines can keep them healthy for many years.

But many of the 8 million Zambians living in poverty still cannot get medicines or afford the diet and lifestyle needed to make them effective. So thousands of parents continue to fall ill and die, leaving around 1.3 million children missing school to care for sick parents, or too poor to go to school because their parents are too ill to work, or have died.

Zambia’s traditional family support structure is stretched to breaking point. Grandparents bringing up their children’s orphans simply cannot take on any more, and the next generation of orphans will not even have grandparents to look after them.

The impact of HIV could reduce Zambia’s gross domestic product by as much as 1% which would seriously set back the gradual economic progress it has made over the last seven years.

Copper prices are up and Zambia has had bumper crops recently, but until the economic benefits filter through to the poorest people, sudden changes in food prices, plus the loss of income, medical and funeral costs that come with HIV, make survival a terrifying daily struggle.

But, education really does help slow down the spread of HIV (for more on how this happens, see Education and AIDS), and improve children’s prospects of survival. By helping them go to school, Cecily’s Fund helps individual children to survive and protect their young families.

On the national level, we equip thousands of vulnerable children with skills to make the most of the upturn in Zambia’s economy, and to help sustain it. A stronger Zambian economy will be better able to combat HIV with education and medical care.