Assessing the economic impact of AIDS in Andhra Pradesh: A comprehensive analysis of Healthcare cost, productivity loss and Socio Economic consequences

HIV/AIDS continues to pose significant public health and economic challenges in Andhra Pradesh, one of India’s historically high-prevalence states. Despite expanded access to free antiretroviral therapy (ART) and improved diagnostic services, the disease imposes a considerable financial burden on affected individuals, households, and the broader economy.

This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the economic impact of HIV/AIDS in Andhra Pradesh by examining healthcare costs, productivity losses, and socio-economic consequences. Using secondary data from state health reports, NACO surveys, and published research, the analysis highlights that households continue to incur substantial direct and indirect costs, including expenditure on diagnostics, transportation, and income losses due to missed workdays. Furthermore, HIV/AIDS amplifies socio-economic vulnerabilities by increasing household debt, reducing children’s school attendance, and exacerbating social stigma and exclusion.

These consequences collectively reinforce the cycle of poverty among affected families. The findings underscore the need for stronger financial protection mechanisms, expansion of decentralized ART centres, community-based support systems, and targeted stigma-reduction efforts. Overall, the economic impact of HIV/AIDS in Andhra Pradesh is multidimensional, and an integrated, welfare-oriented policy approach is essential to mitigate both the monetary and social burdens of the disease.