Household Shocks and Coping Strategies in Rural and Peri-Urban South Africa: Baseline Data from the Size Study in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa (original) (raw)
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The incidence and impact of a range of household shocks are investigated in a survey of households with children in 24 communities in peri-urban and rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The results highlight the importance of health shocks among households in a high HIV prevalence context. Economic shocks, in particular unexpected price increments for basic necessities, are widely reported and shown to have moderate to severe self-rated impacts with possible long-term cumulative, community-wide effects. Behaviour-based coping responses were the most common, especially reduced consumption and spending, which has the potential for negative impacts on the health developmental and well-being of children.
This study examines the coping strategies used by AIDS-affected households facing food security problems. The results from the multinomial logistic model showed that, during 2004/05 and 2006/07, the most dominant coping strategy used by AIDS-affected households facing food security problems, was buying food from the market. This is followed by casual labour, obtaining food from relatives and friends, eating unripe maize before harvest and irrigation farming. The results from logistic discriminant analysis function indicate that, for all households, ordinary coping strategies are dominant among food-insecure households with a total score of close to 80%, much higher than survival strategies at around 20% during 2004/05.
Female-headed households contending with AIDS-related hardship in rural South Africa
Health & Place, 2011
Mainstream research and the popular media often equate female-headship with household vulnerability, crisis, and disorganization. Epidemic levels of HIV/AIDS in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa compound this portrait of hopelessness. In South Africa, the impact of HIV/AIDS on households depends on race, class, and place. As female-headed households increase in number, we need to better understand how female-heads in poor rural areas contend with AIDS related challenges. We analyze qualitative interviews with 16 female heads and the members of their households in a rural community to examine the response to AIDS-related illness, death, or caring for orphaned children. Our analysis examines female-heads' financial and social resources and how these resources buffer against hardship in households affected by AIDS. We find considerable heterogeneity among rural female-headed households and their access to resources to combat AIDS-related hardship. Our findings have important policy implications both in terms of identifying individual and household vulnerabilities as well as leveraging the potential for resilience for female-heads in rural South African communities.
Impact of Safety Nets on Household Coping Mechanisms for COVID-19 Pandemic in Malawi
Frontiers in Public Health, 2021
Background Covid-19 pandemic induced various shocks to households in Malawi, many of which were failing to cope. Household coping mechanisms to shocks have an implication on household poverty status and that of a nation as a whole. In order to assist households to respond to the pandemic-induced shocks positively, the government of Malawi, with support from non-governmental organizations introduced Covid-19 Urban Cash Intervention (CUCI) and other safety nets to complement the existing social protection programs in cushioning the impact of the shocks during the pandemic. With these programmes in place, there is a need for evidence regarding how the safety nets are affecting coping. Therefore, this paper investigated the impact that safety nets during Covid-19 pandemic had on the following household coping mechanisms: engaging in additional income-generating activities, receiving assistance from friends and family; reducing food consumption; relying on savings; and failure to cope. M...
Coping Strategies of Child-Headed Households in Bindura Urban of Zimbabwe
An in-depth study of coping strategies of child-headed households was carried out in Bindura Urban of Zimbabwe. In-depth interviews and the survey method were used to examine the daily lives and coping methods of child-headed households. Data were gathered from child-headed households, community care givers, social workers and members of the community. The research identified a number of causes and challenges that were being faced by household heads. A number of coping mechanisms both positive and negative were employed by household heads in response to the challenges they were facing. The challenges included role adjustment, emotional and social distress, and sexual exploitation, lack of education and schooling and lack of adult care and support. The coping mechanisms identified included selling of family property, assistance from children’s organizations, community members and dropping from school early. The research concludes that the challenges identified by household heads were essentially basic material needs. The formation of child-headed households is unavoidable and should be supported with appropriate support where possible. The study demonstrated that households were receiving regular visits and small amounts of material support from the extended family. It recommends that HIV and AIDS patients should receive adequate treatment, need for investment in financial and human resources and legal recognition of child-headed households. Keywords: child-headed households, coping strategies, households, role adjustment, HIV and AIDS
AIDS Care, 2009
Several countries in Southern Africa now see large numbers of their population barely subsisting at poverty levels in years without shocks, and highly vulnerable to the vagaries of the weather, the economy and government policy. The combination of HIV/AIDS, food insecurity and a weakened capacity for governments to deliver basic social services has led to the region experiencing an acute phase of a long-term emergency. ''Vulnerability'' is a term commonly used by scientists and practitioners to describe these deteriorating conditions. There is particular concern about the ''vulnerability'' of children in this context and implications for children's future security. Through a review of literature and recent case studies, and using a widely accepted conceptualisation of vulnerability as a lens, we reflect on what the regional livelihoods crisis could mean for children's future wellbeing. We argue that an increase in factors determining the vulnerability of households Á both through greater intensity and frequency of shocks and stresses (''external'' vulnerability) and undermined resilience or ability to cope (''internal'' vulnerability) Á are threatening not only current welfare of children, but also their longer-term security. The two specific pathways we explore are (1) erosive coping strategies employed by families and individuals; and (2) their inability to plan for the future. We conclude that understanding and responding to this crisis requires looking at the complexity of these multiple stressors, to try to comprehend their interconnections and causal links. Policy and programme responses have, to date, largely failed to take into account the complex and multi-dimensional nature of this crisis. There is a misfit between the problem and the institutional response, as responses from national and international players have remained relatively static. Decisive, well-informed and holistic interventions are needed to break the potential negative cycle that threatens the future security of Southern Africa's children.
The Economic Impact of HIV/AIDS on Rural Households in Limpopo Province
The South African Journal of Economics, 2002
Although HIV/AIDS infection is a global problem, the epicentre of the disease lies in Africa. In fact, about 70 per cent of the global HIV/AIDS infected population can be found in sub-Saharan Africa (UNAIDS, 2000). The reported HIV/AIDS sero-prevalence rate for South Africa was estimated at 23.5 per cent in 2000 (Department of Health, 2000). This high rate of HIV/AIDS infection poses enormous problems and challenges to the economic development of the country, more so because HIV/AIDS affects the most economically productive sector of the population. The high rate of HIV/AIDS infection also calls for an urgent need to assess the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic in the country. This paper focuses on the impact of HIV/AIDS on rural households in Limpopo province. The high level of poverty in this province (i.e. 59 per cent) makes this assessment even more pertinent, given the fact that poverty stands to increase people's vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, while HIV/AIDS-related morbidity and mortality may cause affected households to be forced into poverty. The specific objectives of this paper are as follows (i) To assess the economic impact of HIV/AIDS on rural households in Limpopo Province (e.g. the impact of HIV/AIDS on household size, household income, household expenditures, household savings, household assets, and household borrowings). (ii) To identify rural households' coping strategies for mitigating the adverse economic impact of HIV/AIDS. (iii) To put forward appropriate policy recommendations to mitigate the economic impact of HIV/AIDS on rural households in Limpopo Province.