Combating AIDS : Communication Strategies in Action

HIV/AIDS is a matter of global concern. The world is now more than 20 years into the HIV/AIDS crisis with no vaccine in sight, and relatively few effective and sustainable prevention programs.

Although the rate of HIV infection and AIDS deaths has declined in the richer nations of the developed world, infection rates are soaring in developing countries.

AIDS is now the leading cause of death in Africa, and the fourth leading cause of death globally.

The purpose of Combating Aids is to synthesize critical lessons about effective HIV/AIDS prevention programmes, with a major emphasis on communication strategies.

Singhal and Roger feel that despite the growing AIDS crisis, the world is making poor use of behaviour change and communication strategies for HIV/AIDS prevention.

To begin with, the role of communication strategies in HIV prevention, care and support has been grossly underestimated.

Prevention is shortchanged, despite the fact that no cure for AIDS has been found, and the cost of anti-retroviral therapy is out of reach for most who need it.Many communication strategies are culturally inappropriate, so they may offend public sensitivities, which is easy to do when dealing with a sensitive topic that involves sex, stigma and death.

Combating AIDS distills the critical lessons learnt about effective HIV/AIDS prevention programmes from around the globe, with a major emphasis on culturally anchored communication strategies to mobilize political action, target high-risk groups and overcome stigma.