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extreme poverty (from 45% in 2000 to 51% in 2015).
Basic Necessities
A study in South Africa found that already poor households coping with members who are sick from HIV or AIDS were reducing spending on necessities even further. The most likely expenses to be cut were clothing (21%), electricity (16%) and other services (9%). Falling incomes forced about 6% of households to reduce the amount they spent on food and almost half of households reported having insufficient food at times.

"She then led me to the kitchen and showed me empty buckets of food and said they had nothing to eat that day just like other days."

Food Production

The AIDS epidemic adds to food insecurity in many areas, as agricultural work is neglected or abandoned due to household illness. In Malawi, where food shortages have had a devastating effect, it has been recognised that HIV and AIDS are fuelling the country's poor agricultural output. It is thought that by 2020, Malawi's agricultural workforce will be 14% smaller than it would have been without HIV and AIDS. In other countries, such as Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe, the reduction is likely to be over 20%.
A recent study in Kenya demonstrated that food production in households where the head of the family died of AIDS were affected in different ways depending on the sex of the deceased. As in other Sub-Saharan African countries, it was generally found that the death of a male reduced the production of cash crops' (such as coffee, tea and sugar), while the death of a female reduced the production of grain and other crops necessary for household survival.

Healthcare expenses and funeral costs

Taking care of a person sick with AIDS is not only an emotional strain for household members, but also a major strain on household resources. Loss of income, additional care-related expenses, the reduced ability of caregivers to work, and mounting medical fees push affected households deeper into poverty. It is estimated that, on average, HIV-related care can absorb one-third of a household's monthly income.
The financial burden of death can also be considerable, with some families in South Africa spending three times their total household monthly income on a funeral.
How do HIV/AIDS affected households cope in Africa?
Three main coping strategies appear to be adopted among affected households. Savings are used up or assets sold; assistance is received from other households; and the composition of households tends to change, with fewer adults

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