Main Policy Issues of the Social and Economic Impact of AIDS from the Perspective of a Health Ministry

Abstract

More than many other diseases, AIDS has a social and economic impact both on individuals and on society. These social and economic repercussions cover not only individual behaviour (sexual practices, drug abuse and the like); there is also the problem of the ability of those affected to earn a living, the question of providing them with appropriate nursing and care, as well as assistance in coping with discrimination and stigmatisation. From the point of view of a health ministry on the federal level in the Federal Republic of Germany, such AIDS-related repercussions can only be overcome in a satisfactory manner when solutions which focus on the causes of AIDS are found; in other words, when a vaccine or curative can be made available. As long as this is not the case, the number of AIDS cases will continue to rise, and the social and economic impact will persist. Since, according to the current state of medical knowledge, such a solution to the AIDS problem cannot be expected for the time being, central significance should be accorded to preventive strategies and measures to provide psychosocial and nursing care for people with HIV and AIDS.