Challenges experienced by unemployed adults on anti-retroviral therapy in Harare

Abstract

The Anti -Retroviral Therapy (ART) study sought to investigate the challenges that were experienced by unemployed adults on ART in Harare, Zimbabwe over two periods, 2008 and 2013. The 2008 period marked the time when Zimbabwe was experiencing social and economic challenges mainly evidenced by hyperinflation and collapse of the local currency. In 2009, a multi-currency economy was introduced and this immediately contained inflation. The study concentrated on the health, social and nutritional aspects of the respondents during the two different economies and was analysed using the Marxist school of thought. The study was a repeated cross sectional survey, where data was presented simultaneously for the two periods revealing the socio-economic status of individuals as the strongest predictor of health, opportunistic disease causation and longetivity on people and on medical treatment. The study concludes that there is a co-relationship between socio economic status and ART adherence and recommends a holistic approach to ART.

Key Terms: Anti-retroviral therapy, nutrition, health, medical treatment, adherence, social class and Marxism