Effects of HIV on children and youth’s educational attainment

It has been 40 years since the first cases of HIV were identified. Since then, an estimated 76 million people have been infected globally and about half of these cases have been fatal. The loss of human capital due to morbidity and mortality issues related to the disease has brought about a significant loss to families and economies overall, particularly in SSA, where 70% of HIV-infected individuals reside. This dissertation seeks to examine effects of HIV on inter- and intragender gaps in educational attainment in SSA using a mixed-method studies in Zimbabwe. The findings mainly show that while there is gender parity in primary and secondary education in Zimbabwe, HIV-positive girls still lag in educational attainment. The dissertation also highlights that HIV mainly has an effect at the tertiary level among males and affects older individuals who were born before major interventions related to curbing the spread of the disease were implemented. The findings also show that some children of HIV-positive mothers do not have birth certificates. This issue presents barriers related to public school enrollment and access to public funds.