Publication
Association between severe drought and HIV prevention and care behaviors in Lesotho
January 2019
A population-based survey 2016–2017
This study analyses HIV prevalence in rural Lesotho among adolescent girls exposed to severe drought, as well as the possible underlying causes of contraction, such as drought-responsive sex work and transactional marriages that inhibited educational attainment. To determine if there were any associations between drought and HIV-related outcomes, the authors paired satellite-derived data on accumulated rainfall with geospatial data from the Lesotho Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (LePHIA), a national HIV survey of 12,887 people conducted in 2016 and 2017.
The study concludes that drought in Lesotho was associated with higher HIV prevalence in girls 15–19 years old in rural areas and with lower educational attainment and riskier sexual behaviour in girls who were 15–24. Policymakers may consider adopting potential mechanisms to mitigate the impact of income shock from disasters on populations vulnerable to HIV transmission.
