Changing the Course of AIDS: Peer Education in South Africa and Its Lessons for the Global Crisis

The AIDS crisis is presently at its most dire in Southern Africa, due to social and economic factors. Dickinson (sociology, the University of the Witwatersrand) spent over a year studying a program of peer education about the disease that was instituted first within the mining companies. The rationale is that people do not respond well to lectures from those above them, who are often from a different social and racial background. Therefore, volunteers were trained to talk with coworkers about AIDS and provide information about prevention and treatment. Dickinson realized that these programs worked best when the educators were able to give informal input rather than follow a script. Working within the community mores and structure including calling on traditional healers, the educators are able to communicate with those affected by AIDS. "They can get people to talk." (p.214) They also can give information that will be passed along. Dickinson is aware that there are many hurdles to overcome, including that of the disruption of normal family life through the necessity for men to live far from their families in order to support them. This program is not applicable to AIDS and Africa alone, but could be used in drug, smoking and obesity treatments everywhere as well. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)