Table Of ContentHIV/AIDS Communication in South Africa
DOI: 10.1057/9781137491299.0001
Also by Colin Chasi
HARD WORDS: ON HIV/AIDS COMMUNICATION (2010)
DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION (2011) (edited with
K. Tomaselli)
DOI: 10.1057/9781137491299.0001
HIV/AIDS
Communication in
South Africa:
Are You Human?
Colin Chasi
University of Johannesburg, South Africa
DOI: 10.1057/9781137491299.0001
© Colin Chasi 2014
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2014 978-1-137-49128-2
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First published 2014 by
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doi: 10.1057/9781137491299
Dedicated to my father and mother, Ruvimbo and
Mildred Chasi
DOI: 10.1057/9781137491299.0001
Contents
1 Introduction 1
2 Are You Human? 4
3 Failure That Was Waiting to Happen 10
4 On Belief in the Communication of
State Leaders 27
5 Just HIV/AIDS Communication 45
6 Towards Ubuntu as a Framework 61
Works Cited 76
Index 86
vi DOI: 10.1057/9781137491299.0001
1
Introduction
Abstract: This chapter discusses the need to develop new
theory as regards HIV/AIDS in South Africa with references
to recent research findings. It discusses the importance of
going past merely listing inventories of the latest statistics
about prevalence, survey findings concerning about an
assortment of communication practices regarding HIV/AIDS,
and other such programmatic engagements with the epidemic.
It speaks of the value of presenting new theory about life and
communication in this era of epidemic.
Keywords: communication; HIV and AIDS; theory
Chasi, Colin. HIV/AIDS Communication in South Africa:
Are You Human? Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.
doi: 10.1057/9781137491299.0002.
DOI: 10.1057/9781137491299.0002
HIV/AIDS Communication in South Africa
South Africa continues to be home to the world’s largest popula-
tion of people living with HIV ... one of every six people with HIV
in the world lives in South Africa. (Fraser-Hurt et al., 2011, p. 18;
emphasis added)
The most recent survey data on prevalence, incidence and behaviours
regarding HIV in South Africa came out on April 1,2014 (April Fools’
Day). Key findings are that in 2012 the prevalence and incidence of
HIV/AIDS were again on the increase and condom use was in decline
(Shisana et al., 2014).
Meanwhile Johnson et al.’s (2013) The Third National Communication
Survey 2012 finds that HIV communication programmes in that year
reached 82 per cent of those aged 16–55. Significantly, it finds that these
programmes particularly penetrated into younger black communities,
which are most at risk. Notwithstanding that three years earlier 90 per
cent of people in the 15–55 age range were exposed to these programmes,
the conclusion reached is that HIV communication programmes ‘have
shown success in a number of areas related to HIV in terms of build-
ing knowledge, developing appropriate attitudes and beliefs, and – as a
consequence – changing behaviour patterns’ (p. 51). The compilers of
The Third National Communication Survey report clearly still believed,
however, that communication programs are changing people’s beliefs,
norms, perceptions and other ideational factors with positive conse-
quences regarding behaviour change (p. vi).
From the above it is plausible to say that there are important insights
about the challenge of communicating on HIV/AIDS that are yet to be
revealed. If this is true it is important to go beyond enumerating known
histories in their many varieties and forms.1 It is also important to go
past listing inventories of the latest statistics about prevalence, survey
findings concerning an assortment of communication practices regard-
ing HIV/AIDS, and other such programmatic engagements with the
epidemic. Anyone can Google these.
I have no intentions to play at sorting apart the oldest from the latest
innovations of experts and other programmers of this communication.
After all, who has not been a part of many amazingly grand and small
communication interventions and exercises aimed at variously changing
people’s information states, attitudes and even behaviours?
It is vital to accept that on any topic it is clearly impossible to discuss
all the angles, frames and controversies. Even the most trivial of things
DOI: 10.1057/9781137491299.0002
Introduction
can be understood from infinite vantage points. My intention is not
to try to cover the vast body of intentions, strategies and practices on
communication regarding HIV/AIDS. It is simply to put a finger on
parts of them in order to draw fundamental new observations about life
and communication in this era of epidemic.
This book will
1 discuss communication on HIV/AIDS as a failure that was waiting
to happen;
2 poke holes into the idea that state leaders are expected to speak in
ways that ameliorate the HIV/AIDS epidemic;
3 contest the view of some that retribution should befall those who
are somehow found blameworthy as regards HIV/AIDS; and
4 try to show that the moral philosophy of ubuntu can act as a
normative framework that guides how HIV/AIDS is communicated
upon. Drawing on ubuntu is appropriate. It is a moral philosophy
with a strong African pedigree (Metz, 2007) that has implications
what people do as regards HIV/AIDS and communication on it.
Drawing on the South African experience in this way enables me to
boldly offer a unique compendium of insights into HIV/AIDS commu-
nication and related experiences. This is crucial in the work of enunciat-
ing an African approach to the challenge of communicating on HIV/
AIDS that this book embraces.
Note
1 Keyan Tomaselli’s (2011) discussion of the history of communication on
HIV/AIDS in South Africa, and particularly his notes on the departure from
thinking that communication can change behaviours, is very instructive.
DOI: 10.1057/9781137491299.0002
