Migration and HIV/AIDS in rural areas: The case of 'de-urbanization' in parts of Southern Africa

Akabiwa J Nyambe, University of Cape Town

A tendency for populations to migrate back to rural places has lately been evident in most of Southern Africa. This is a reverse of the earlier situation where migration was to urban areas for social economic motives especially employment, education, and health. This can be argued to play a role in redistributing and hence equalizing rural HIV/AIDS prevalence rates to urban rates. In rural areas, implications might manifest rapidly and severely. Amongst other reasons is that they at most are of lowest levels regarding income, education, etc. By ascertaining the role of migration in equalizing rates, it might help decision makers have clear objectives and target systems that contain the epidemic within regions. Recognizing the observation that fewer studies have considered migration and attributes of HIV together (Crush, 2005), this paper attempts to contribute by discussing the role of de-urbanization in equalizing HIV/AIDS prevalence rates. Keywords: Migration, De-urbanization, Rural HIV/AIDS, Southern Africa