Socioeconomic Determinants of HIV Infection in Rural Lesotho

Nkechi Obisie-Nmehielle , University of the Witwatersrand
Mwiza Singini, University of the Witwatersrand
Njeri Wabiri, Health Science Research Council

This paper seeks to examine the socioeconomic determinants of HIV prevalence in rural migrants’ communities of origin that share border with South Africa. Secondary analysis was carried out using the “Integrated biological and behavioural survey study (IBBS) survey of TB and HIV among migrant mine workers communities of origin” in Lesotho, by the International Organization for Migration. The social determinants of health theory and empirical literature on the role of social, economic and structural/environmental factors in health and disease, were used to support the hypothesis that socioeconomic factors at individual and contextual levels are determinants of HIV prevalence among men and women in the rural communities of Lesotho. Results show that contextual factor specific to place, structural factors of community unemployment, as well as individual factors such as sex and age are determinants of HIV infection. Gender and geographical disparities exist in HIV infection in rural Lesotho.

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 Presented in Session 11. Health & Mortality 2