Interpretive Structural Modelling in Action – A Preliminary Exploration of AIDS Pandemic in South Africa

Abstract

Approximately 12% of South Africans are living with HIV/AIDS. This disease impacts on South Africa's labour force, plagues its economy, and threatens its growth. After the implementation of many AIDS prevention projects, South Africa's HIV prevalence still remains high. This study presents a preliminary exploration of the drivers leading to the AIDS pandemic in South Africa. Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) is used as a mechanism for revealing the drivers leading to AIDS pandemic in South Africa. The modelling process embodies the following steps: ‘generating ideas resulting in AIDS’, ‘clarifying the generated ideas’, ‘using Interpretive Structural Modelling software to construct a diagraph displaying the interrelationships of the generated ideas’ and ‘interpreting the produced model’. The produced model reveals that two major factors lead to the AIDS pandemic in South Africa. They are ‘poverty’ and ‘lack of knowledge of AIDS’. The two factors exacerbate other problems, such as ‘gender inequality’, ‘stigma and discrimination’ and ‘unprotected sex with partner’. Tackling the two drivers ought to be given priority. However, addressing the problem of ‘poverty’ requires cross-functional collaboration.