Bringing agricultural extension into action against HIV/AIDS in Africa

Agricultural extension organisations work with farmers to develop and promote new agricultural technologies. In sub-Saharan Africa, staff from these organisations have been badly affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. As farming households have to cope with losses of family and community members, so extension workers have to deal with sickness and the loss of friends and colleagues. Providing technical support to improve agricultural productivity and food security is now more difficult than before.

Studies by the Food and Agriculture Organizationof the United Nations discuss how HIV/AIDS affects agricultural extensionservices in sub-Saharan Africa. Providing extension services can be high-risk activityif staff spend long periods in areas that are badly-affectedby HIV/AIDS and they are practising unsafe sex. Many extension workers are sickand many more have died. This means that there are fewer staff available. Thereare also frequent absences for funerals. The distress associated with illnessand death has seriously weakened morale in many extension organisations.

Mortality rates from HIV/AIDS are particularly highin rural areas, and the composition of farming populations has changed in manyplaces. Elderly people are coming back into farming. Widows and young orphansmay be required to work more than in the past. There are less physically strongpeople able to work, and burdens on remaining family members are great. These newworkers have very different needs, meaning extension staff are required to revisitthe range of services they have been providing in the past.  

Several key findings arise from the studies:

• Organisationalcosts have risen for extension services, a result of treatment for sick staffand the need to recruit new staff.
• Manyextension services are understaffed. In Uganda, for example, 20 to 50 percent ofall work time is lost due to funeral attendance or caring for sick relatives.
• Farmershave less time to attend demonstrations of new technology.
• Extensionstaff have to deal with more queries about HIV/AIDS.

Policy-makers and donors must respond to thesenew situations. This requires new types of training and new forms of supportfor staff working in demanding circumstances. Given the severity of thesituation in many rural areas, it may also be necessary to reconsider keypolicies, such as privatising, reducing the size of extension services and makingfarmers pay for services.

Priority actions needed for preparing extensionservices to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS include:

• developingnational policies on HIV/AIDS for extension services
• trainingextension staff in HIV/AIDS issues, including working in vulnerable communitiesand providing training to cope with emotionally difficult work situations
• developingextension strategies that consider the specific needs of social groups takingon new working roles
• launchingHIV/AIDS prevention and awareness campaigns through extension services. Extensionworkers can play an important role in educating farming communities aboutHIV/AIDS.

Agricultural extension organisations in Africahave already been badly affected by staff and budget cuts. These difficultieshave been made worse by the HIV/AIDS crisis. The challenges and difficultiesassociated with being an extension worker have dramatically increased. Policy-makersmust understand the new situation and provide appropriate support immediately.