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Sophia Migabo Sophia Migabo Sophia Migabo Sophia Migabo Sophia Migabo HIV and risk of HIV infection, particularly among internally displaced people in Côte

d’Ivoire and their host communities. The mission was led by UNHCR in partnership with

the UNAIDS secretariat, and composed of government ministries, NGOs and UN

agencies, namely UNDP, UNFPA and WFP.

The qualitative study took place in the localities of Tabou, Guiglo, Bouaké and

Abidjan from 22 to 28 March 2007. Qualitative tools aided the collection of data from

interviews with key informants (local authorities, NGO workers, doctors, etc.) and target

groups (displaced people, students, sex workers, etc.), as well as focus group

discussions.

The war in Côte d’Ivoire has had repercussions among Ivorian and foreign

displaced people, host populations and refugees. Displaced and non displaced

populations lost their employment and in Tabou, food production has greatly suffered as

well. Children and young people’s education has been interrupted, in some cases

permanently, and Guiglo’s child mothers blame this event for their pregnancy. Health

services are described as overloaded, poor in quality and many have had to close down

with the war.

The internally displaced people interviewed who for the most part had had stable

financial and familial conditions, have been stripped of their homes and income. They

describe how financial strain of their extended stay with relatives has worn out family

ties and social networks. Parental loss and impoverishment has fractured households as

case studies illustrate, where children have either chosen or been forced to leave home

and fend for themselves. Parents, humiliated by destitution and degrading events during

their displacement express that they have lost their authority over their children, who

are engaging in unrestrained sexual activity.

People living with HIV share that even in times of peace they can face financial

difficulties when needing to pay for opportunistic infection treatment and prophylaxis.

They state that the unemployment, under-nutrition, deterioration of health care and

unavailability of drugs and reagents they have experienced as a result of the war further

aggravates their financial situation. ARV adherence among displaced people living with

HIV is noticeably more difficult by their mobility. Moreover, HIV counselors suggest that

the

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