Droughts could heighten the transmission of HIV particularly through activities like transactional sex, scientists say.

A recent study by University of Bristol revealed that drought-induced behavioural changes, often driven by insufficient resources, could contribute to the spread of HIV.

Published in Aids and Behaviour, last month, the study suggests that droughts trigger behavioural changes among the affected populations as people grapple with poverty and food insecurity.

In rural areas heavily reliant on farming, individuals may resort to activities such as prostitution as a means of coping with hard times. This, in turn, increases the risk of HIV transmission.

The study data from Eswatini, Lesotho, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, indicated that women recently exposed to drought were more likely to acquire HIV than their counterparts who had not experienced drought.

Climate change woes

The study says as climate change progresses, the frequency of droughts is expected to rise, potentially leading to an increase in HIV transmission rates. Sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to be severely impacted by climate change, with a rise in drought risks attributed to shifts in precipitation patterns and inadequate water storage.

Drought has been an escalating concern in Sub-Saharan Africa, with the proportion of land experiencing severe drought rising from approximately 5 percent to 15 percent since 1901.

“Women in rural regions of Sub-Saharan Africa who were recently exposed to drought showed a higher likelihood of contracting HIV compared with those who were not exposed to drought,” says, Dr Adam Trickey, the lead author.

The study, focusing on rural women as opposed to urban women or men in either rural or urban settings, align with previous research indicating that drought may drive women reliant on agriculture towards engaging in sex work.

“That we found this among women in rural areas, but not in urban areas or men in either rural or urban areas corroborate previous studies indicating that the mechanism through which drought may increase HIV risk is that drought pushes women who rely on farming for their livelihoods into sex work for money or food,” said Dr Trickey.

“Even if these changes were small, the large number of people living with HIV in Africa and the large percentage experiencing drought means that the effect of droughts could still result in many people acquiring HIV in this situation, particularly when you consider that around 65 percent of Africa’s population relies on subsistence farming.”

The study highlights the urgent need for further investigation and proactive measures.