Reactions to the HIV/AIDS Crisis: Significant Differences

Although HIV/AIDS has posed a global threat since the 1980’s, it’s devastating impact has been lessened in many western countries, while countries across Sub-Saharan Africa continue to wage war against it. Certainly, economic factors play one of the largest roles in creating this discrepancy. Despite this obvious difference, it is important to also recognize more nuanced variances in order to create the most successful public health initiatives against HIV/AIDS in Africa.

As the AIDS crisis quickly spread in the 1980s, the UK was one of the first countries to react on a national scale. Although elected officials are often uncomfortable around issues surrounding sexual health, the looming devastation predicted encouraged leaders to act quickly. Television advertisements were bold and direct; stressing the fact that AIDS was a threat to everyone, rather than a single social group (such as gay people or drug-addicts, as some presumed). Ads were popular, frequent, and catchy. People remembered their messages and took them to heart. This early counterattack to the crisis was swift and largely successful.

Contrast this with many countries across sub-Saharan Africa, a region where superstitions, denial, and conflicting ideas surrounding the crisis abound. Although $15.6bn is spent annually on AIDS prevention around the world, public health initiatives, such as those in the UK, continue to falter in the region. In addition to the issues we discussed in class, such as the difficulty of distributing information and condoms and the differing opinions concerning abstinence and protection, Africa also faces other unique obstacles that differentiate it’s public health initiatives from that of many western countries.

Cultural differences, and differences in educational and sexual cultures specifically, create a unique problem. Some of the tactics used in western countries simply aren’t culturally relevant in many African countries. Additionally, the plurality of regional languages makes creating popular advertisements difficult. These issues, paired with antipathy and denial on the part of many officials, has led to foot-dragging when it comes to creating successful initiatives.

This, of course, has had a devastating effect in waging a war against HIV/AIDS, where the UK has proven timeliness is key. By comparing the regions, we see that attempting to fix the HIV/AIDS issue in Africa with strategies employed in many western countries will not be wholly successful. The British response to the crisis was swift AND culturally relevant, helping it resonate with citizens. Cultural differences create unique challenges that must not be overlooked in order for public health initiatives to be successful across Africa.

To read more about the UK’s approach to the AIDS crisis and how it differs from African initiatives, click here.