The HIV/AIDS Crisis and Its Implications on Peace and Security In Africa

The security threat posed by HIV/AIDS has become a widely accepted assumption. However, this domain has not been fully researched and documented even though the pandemic has surfaced as one of the greatest causes of death to mankind. The impact of the pandemic has been felt by individuals, societies and even states. Its catastrophic effects have led to states and international organizations to discuss the disease as a security concern rather than a health issue. At the beginning of the millennium, the UN Security Council intervened by raising the status of the pandemic from a health concern to a security issue. Subsequently, the Security Council approved Resolution 1308 that draws attention to the threat HIV/AIDS poses to international security, especially in conflicts and peacekeeping scenarios. This paper will investigate what basis was used by the Security Council in securitizing HIV/AIDS. The thesis will go further on to assess the impact the pandemic has on economies, societies and development. The paper will also look at how the pandemic poses a direct thieat to unifonned personnel in Africa. Towards the end of the thesis, recommendations will be proposed targeting all stakeholders and then a conclusion.