HL Deb 07 January 2003 vol 642 cc178-9WA
Baroness Rawlings

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What assessment they have made of the impact of HIV and AIDS on Ethiopia. [HL857]

Baroness Amos

Ethiopia has a generalised HIV/AIDS epidemic, with an estimated 2.1 million people affected.

The impact is substantial and will get worse as more of those already infected die. UNAIDS estimate that the number of adults and children in Ethiopia who died of AIDS in 2001 was 160,000, while the number of AIDS orphans was estimated to be 990,000, placing greater strain on the country's already stretched social services.

The current humanitarian situation in Ethiopia could also be complicated by the epidemic, as agricultural productivity can decline by as much as 80 per cent when a key family member is infected with HIV. Assets such as land and livestock are often sold to meet the cost of healthcare.