Strengthening the Role of AIDS-Affected Micro and Small Enterprises in Productive Markets

With 39.4 million people HIV-positive or living with AIDS around the world, it is not surprising that AIDS is having an economic impact on households, businesses, and even national economies. Micro and small enterprises (MSEs) are particularly at risk because they comprise more than 90 percent of all enterprises in the world and already face constraints to market access. The additional burden of HIV/AIDS on MSEs could be sufficient to push many of these firms out of the markets in which they are currently active. This microREPORT addresses the important issue of sustaining the role of MSEs in productive economic activity when MSEs are directly affected by HIV/AIDS. It identifies the constraints that are specific to HIV/AIDS-affected MSEs and presents promising approaches to address these constraints and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on MSEs.