An inquiry into the relationship of wealth/income and demographics to HIV/Aids: The case of Kenya

Abstract

This paper uses quantitative and qualitative analyses to study the influence of socio-economic factors on the HIV/AIDS epidemic with the intent of providing insight on policies to mitigate that epidemic. After a brief synopsis of poverty and AIDS in Africa, this paper outlines key research questions, and reviews their treatment in the literature. Using published data from 6,350 individuals (drawn from the Kenya Demographic Survey of 37,000), a number of behavioural choices are analysed. Income, wealth level, occupations and location are considered under other variables. While the analysis suggests that poverty does not predispose people to HIV/AIDS, it did strongly indicate that AIDS can precipitate poverty. These findings provide insight as to how the spread of AIDS can be mitigated in Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa.