HIV/AIDS discourses in Kyrgyzstan’s policy arena

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article explores the major discourses on HIV/AIDS in the policy arena in Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet country in Central Asia that has experienced a rapid rise in HIV infections since the early 2000s. Based on an analysis of policy documents and 54 semi-structured in-depth interviews with key stakeholders in the area of HIV/AIDS policies in Kyrgyzstan, we distinguish a number of key discourses, competing for legitimacy and authority. While some of these discourses have been used in other countries (such as those presenting HIV/AIDS as a biomedical, social or moral issue), others are more specific to Kyrgyzstan (such as a discourse presenting the country as a regional pioneer in HIV/AIDS prevention efforts). Our analysis shows how HIV/AIDS discourses in the policy arena overlap and complement each other and how stakeholders employ a number of tools and strategies to promote and secure their agendas and positions of power. Our findings help to better understand HIV/AIDS discourses in Kyrgyzstan and elsewhere. They highlight the importance of understanding which discourses are prevailing, who drives them and why, how they change over time, and how they can be framed to achieve policy objectives.