Social Contexts of Living with HIV/AIDS in the Eastern Region of Ghana

Abstract

The livelihoods of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) in Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa have generally beenunder-researched using the social context approach. Employing the social context explanatory framework,we explore the livelihoods and challenges facing 38 PLWHAs in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality (LMKM)in the Eastern Region of Ghana. LMKM has the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Ghana. In-depth interviewshave been conducted with partiipants who are out-patints at either of the two HIV/AIDS clinics in thestudy area. Their family relatins, healthcare, healthcare seeking, and health status have been explored. Thefidings show the partiipants to generally be poor, have poorer health, and to have had some challengesto healthcare seeking, including food insecurity. They also lack suffient support from family and romantipartners. Most have family members and romanti partners who had succumbed to HIV/AIDS. The partiipantsgenerally have a high burden of child dependents, including orphans from HIV/AIDS. Our explanatory modelconfims that the partiipants are caught at the interphase of intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, andnatinal vulnerabilitis that are interdependent and reciprocal. Safety-net provisions such as the NatinalHealth Insurance scheme provide them with inadequate social protectin. For improved health status andgeneral livelihood, we recommend more pro-actie social support for the partiipants and their dependents.Furthermore having stakeholders make greater effrts is recommended for strengthening Ghana’s economyagainst shocks