‘Culture important in fight against HIV/AIDS’

Commonwealth High Commissioners based in London have been briefed on the importance of employing culture based methods for effective HIV education and prevention. So, too, have practitioners working in the field of HIV/AIDS in the Commonwealth.{{more}}

The occasion was the Pan Commonwealth International Forum on Long Distance Education which concluded in London on July 18. Panelists from Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific and Asia presented case studies and experiences from the various regions at PCF 5 and then later on Wednesday, July 16, the High Commissioners gathered at the Commonwealth Secretariat for an official briefing on the issue.

Ugandan High Commissioner Joan Rwabyomere spoke on the importance of political leadership to end AIDS. Director of the Commonwealth Foundation Dr. Mark Collins noted that the forum was part of a broader agenda of building bridges and Robin Vincent of PANOS London spoke to the need for community engagement and strengthening of health systems.

Communication Consultant in the Ministry of Health Theresa Daniel presented the Caribbean perspective for both sessions with demonstrations of how culture is being used to communicate HIV/AIDS message. Using a case study approach, two main initiatives of how culture based approaches are working in HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care measures in the region were demonstrated.

Culture is being increasingly recognized as the fourth pillar of development and funding agencies and donors worldwide have been exploring how best to use this mode of expression to prevent and reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS. For its part, the Commonwealth Foundation in recognition of the importance of culture based measures in HIV prevention, care and treatment has set up a Pan-Commonwealth Civil Society Network on HIV/AIDS. The Trinidad-based Caribbean Association of Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA), of which Ms Daniel is a member, is part of that network.

Feedback from network members has called for a more holistic approach beyond conventional “behaviour change communication” that tends to be based on set assumptions about what change is required. They’ve highlighted the need for more accessible prevention and advocacy initiatives that use for example, music, community radio, oral testimonies and street theatre to communicate prevention messages.

Commonwealth Heads of Government declared HIV and AIDS both a global and Commonwealth emergency in 2005 and in 2007 they reaffirmed this commitment and acknowledged the need for the implementation.