1. Home
  2. Africa
  3. Southern Africa
  • News

Experts concerned over looming impact of AIDS on IT sector

Experts have expressed concern over the possible effects of HIV/AIDS on Southern Africa's information technology (IT) industry, according to ITWEB, a South African-based technology news service. Prof Alan Whiteside of the University of KwaZulu-Natal told the Gartner Symposium ITxpo 2005 in Cape Town on Tuesday that defining the direct impact of AIDS on the sector would be complex, but it could be similar to the effects experienced by other industries in the region. Whiteside, the director of the university's health economics and HIV/AIDS research division, highlighted prevention, care and treatment as the three key challenges facing the industry. He warned that although the prevalence of HIV/AIDS did not seem to be harming foreign investment in IT, this could change if a country appeared not to be dealing with the issue.

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

Share this article

Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian

Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

Join