What can we learn for HIV prevention from John Snow, founder in the 1850s of modern epidemiology?
In 1854, convinced that a London cholera outbreak was spread by means other than "miasma", the public health pioneer persuaded authorities to remove a pump handle. Rather than treating the water (a biomedical approach) or persuading people not to use the water (a behavioural approach), this early instance of a structural intervention cut off access to the water source and thus had impact at the level of the community environment.
Special journal issue on structural drivers
Tackling the structural drivers of HIV: is this a luxury add-on or essential for successful interventions? Papers present evidence of the need to understand and address the factors that create and deepen HIV risk.
Published with STRIVE support, this special issue raised key debates ahead of the 2012 International AIDS Conference and beyond. Among others:
Reducing HIV Stigma - Anne Stangl
What works? Principals for programme design, resources and tools, and measurement issues.
Presented by Anne Stangl, Behavioral Scientist and Stigma Specialist, International Center for Research on Women, Washington, DC, 22 November 2011.
Stigma and HIV Overview - Anne Stangl
An overview of this key structural barrier to an effective HIV response, giving definitions, tools and experiences from interventions.
Presented by Anne Stangl, Behavioral Scientist and Stigma Specialist, International Center for Research on Women, Washington, DC, 12 October 2011.
HIV-related stigma and discrimination
What's the issue?
Stigma is a human rights infringement that is linked to poor physical and mental health outcomes. Stigma continues to be experienced across the globe and disproportionately affects the most vulnerable populations.
In the context of HIV, it is important to mitigate the effects of stigma and discrimination because they hamper efforts to prevent new HIV infections and engage people living with HIV in care and treatment.