AIDS in Africa—a challenge to health education

Abstract

This paper examines the implications of AIDS for health education in Africa and identifies priorities for health education programs and research. campaigns will not change behavior in Africa if they insist on 1 partner for life because multiple partners are rooted in African culture especially with labor patterns that encourage the migration of single males to urban areas. Safe sex must be promoted as enjoyable sex. The use of condoms must be promoted with strategies that identify them with male virility. Condoms are not widely used in Africa partly because family planning programs have focused on women. However condoms have the advantage of over-the-counter availability. A pilot project in Kenya mobilized shop keepers local leaders and radio in a social marketing program. Ways of reaching people with health education messages can be learnt from the experience gained by family planning programs which has been widely documented in Reports available from the Population Information Program of Johns Hopkins University and in the database on contraceptive use as reported by the World Fertility Surveys and Contraceptive Prevalence Surveys. One reason that family planning programs based on limiting population growth have not worked well in Africa is that poor people want many children as labor. Campaigns for birth spacing for maternal a child health have been more successful especially when coupled with traditional African methods such as abstinence and withdrawal. AIDS campaigns that rely on fear will not change behavior in Africa until the epidemic is far enough along for people to know personally people who are dying. Health education works best in Africa when carried out on a person-to-person basis by outreach workers and members of the community. Research is needed to determine African perceptions of AIDS and the levels of knowledge and awareness that currently exist and to determine the impact of AIDS on primary health care. Anthropology can supply insights on African beliefs as to the causes and prevention of disease. Participatory research using members of at-risk groups can speed up the research process and African universities should be encouraged to devote research effort to AIDS-related issues. Finally research results must be published if they are to be of use in health education.