Non-Timber Forest Products in the Livelihood and Coping Strategies of Households and Communities Afflicted by HIV/AIDS

Abstract

This paper argues that natural resources, specifically non-timber forest products (i.e., medicinal plants, wild foods, artesinal materials, etc.) play an integral part in household and community responses to the biophysical and socio-economic impacts of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Based on previous analyses of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, and analyses of non-timber forest products in the context of rural livelihoods, a theoretical framework for analysis of non-timber forest products in the context of HIV/AIDS is presented. Potential interactions between household/community responses to HIV/AIDS and natural resources are explored and their implications for multisectoral interventions are discussed.