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Complex inequalities have shaped the trajectory of the HIV epidemic in South Africa. These include factors related to gender disempowerment, poverty, family disruption and violence – all of which have intensified the risk of HIV infection among the majority of South Africans, contributing to one of the most severe country-level HIV epidemics globally. Neo-liberal economic policies adopted in the post-apartheid period failed to address poverty and burgeoning urban migration – both of which were key factors exacerbating vulnerability to HIV. While there was, ostensibly, a strong commitment to addressing the HIV epidemic by the post-apartheid government, HIV prevalence among pregnant women quadrupled from 7.6% in 1994 to 30.2% in 2005. Contributing to this rise, was a series of missteps by the national Department of Health in the late 1990s, which constrained HIV prevention efforts and stifled HIV treatment. The mid-2000s saw a reprioritisation of the response to the epidemic, with international guidelines supported by biomedical and social research underpinning a rights- and evidence-based response. Multisectoral HIV prevention activities were complemented by high levels of investment in implementing prevention of mother to child HIV transmission and expanding access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV through the public sector. While these efforts contributed to stabilising the epidemic, stark inequalities in vulnerability and susceptibility to HIV infection continued – in particular, among youth. In this chapter, we draw on a review of the research literature to describe concerns and explore opportunities for a response.

The purpose of this paper is to examine health-related social advertisements to identify its use and evaluate its appropriateness to situational needs, such as epidemic dynamics and the context where it is implemented. The paper also discusses the barriers that policymakers face in creating these linkages.

In all, 375 national HIV/AIDS prevention television advertisements from France, Germany, Portugal and Italy were viewed and analyzed over time of production, exploring the sources, the target audiences and the messages delivered. This paper compares management choices with HIV epidemics in each country and their contextual profiles.

The findings of this paper indicate that social advertising concerned with HIV/AIDS prevention is commonly framed within public policies and does not usually target the most vulnerable and affected populations. Furthermore, social ads are reactive to epidemic dynamics. The existence of trade-offs between putting forward theoretical marketing recommendations and taking account of contextual fracturing issues or increasing stigma and discrimination are also considered.

This paper is useful for public sector management because of the importance of evaluating the investments done to improve future strategies. The discussion about restrictions and concerns for policy-makers is important to improve management decisions.

This paper suggests the adoption of proactive public policies and proposes strategies to overcome the restrictions or concerns faced by policy-makers.

UN-HABITAT's experiences in the Lake Victoria region and Sub-Saharan Africa show that the underlying causes of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its consequences on urban development must be urgently and comprehensively addressed. The epidemic affects all sectors of urban development, including housing, transportation, water, and access to health services. Development agencies, whose mission is urban development, have thus started to recognise that achieving their objectives is difficult without addressing and mitigating the impact of the epidemic. A comprehensive policy and programming is required to mitigate both the spread and the effects of the epidemic. Consequently, UN-HABITAT, working with partners and city authorities around Lake Victoria, has embarked on an HIV/AIDS mainstreaming strategy in its Slum Upgrading and Poverty Reduction programme. Related activities and lessons are presented.

This study proposed a theoretical framework to illustrate how governance can be instrumental in preventing the proliferation of HIV. It decomposed governance into six multidimensional facets and empirically examined their effects on HIV prevalence.

The study utilized panel data from 45 sub-Saharan African countries from 1996 to 2019. HIV prevalence, the dependent variable, was estimated based on the number of adults aged 15–49 years infected with HIV, irrespective of the progression to AIDS symptoms. The independent variables included governance and its six dimensions: voice and accountability, political stability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law, and control of corruption. The analysis incorporated the random and fixed effects models while controlling for economic development, economic inequality, foreign aid, sanitation, and population.

The findings revealed a significant association between good governance and lower HIV prevalence. Improved governance quality in sub-Saharan African countries has led to a reduction in HIV prevalence among adults. Specifically, governance dimensions, such as voice and accountability, political stability, rule of law, and control of corruption, contributed to reducing HIV prevalence. Conversely, government effectiveness and regulatory quality did not show significant impacts on HIV prevalence.

This study underscores the significant role of good governance in effectively curbing the spread of epidemic diseases, highlighting its importance in controlling HIV in sub-Saharan African countries.

Concentrates on HIV/AIDS prevention practitioners and how the AIDS epidemic can be recognized in such a way as to influence individuals to assist in prevention. Highlights how the gay community, in particular, have managed to reduce deaths and infection but that the newer members of the community seem to be falling by the wayside now. Discusses social and psychological theories involved in the fight in AIDS prevention. States that in the USA the effective interventions being discontinued are the poorly funded or not at all. Concludes the fight against AIDS through publicity and knowledge must go on.

This chapter is an exploratory piece to comprehend how national policies react to regional policy solutions designed to cope with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It uses data from the national strategic plans for HIV/AIDS from 13 of 15 Caribbean Community (CARICOM) members to illustrate how they interpret the regional response to the pandemic. In drawing upon the existing literature on transfer, it focuses on what I term cooperative policy transfer – explore how policy concepts flow back and forth between the national and regional levels through cohesive harmonization – to understand how new policy trends emerge. A cross-sectional analysis based on a content analysis reveals the emergence of three new policy trends distinct to the region that guide HIV/AIDS education: (i) creating a multisectoral approach; (ii) setting international targets; and (iii) establishing regional benchmarks. These new trends are identified as what I call the rise of new mutualism in education. The chapter concludes that the national and regional policy responses to HIV/AIDS in CARICOM countries, centered on new mutualism, became a rallying cry based on the belief that the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) can only function if CARICOM countries combine their resources to reverse the effect of HIV/AIDS on national educational systems.

Argues that strong social analysis can make a large contribution to understanding and fighting HIV/AIDS plus other infective diseases. Contends a global perspective is necessary to rethink our approach to infections as, globally, the virus seems to be strengthening, generally. Describes, through case studies, the transition of HIV outbreaks in South Africa, Eastern Europe, Russia, and Indonesia. Makes the case that HIV/AIDS is deeply tied up in fundamental structure and processes.

Older adults’ sexual health is becoming an increasingly important component of healthy aging in the wake of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and rising infection rates among this age cohort. The increase in HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the older adult population ignites the need to understand the reasons why older adults are omitted from HIV/AIDS prevention education policy.

This chapter examines the social forces that influence HIV/AIDS policy at the state and community levels. Through qualitative methodology and analysis, including interviews with state policymakers and managers of AIDS service organizations in four Midwestern states (n=31), I look for trends and patterns as to whether or not older adults are considered as an “at-risk” group for HIV infection.

Findings reveal that HIV/AIDS policy may be impacted by enduring sexual scripts about older adults. To some extent both state policymakers and AIDS service organization personnel adhere to stereotypes about older adults’ sexuality and sexual activity, which is then implemented in their health promotion activities. The result is that gaps exist in HIV/AIDS prevention education for older adults, despite the fact that current trends show an increase in new HIV infections and AIDS diagnoses among people over the age of 50.

While this is an exploratory study of the available HIV/AIDS prevention education and health promotion activities for older adults, as well as the viewpoints of state policymakers and AIDS service organization personnel, the findings do indicate the need for additional research on the potentially dangerous sexual behaviors – lack of HIV testing, low condom usage, multiple partners – exhibited by older adults. Future research involving interviews with older adults, physicians, and medical personnel may add new perspectives to the current research.

As the baby boomers continue to age and challenge cultural stereotypes of sexual behaviors among older adults, research in the area of sexual health and HIV/AIDS prevention education will remain an important component of healthy aging. This research begins what will ultimately be a necessary conversation.

This chapter focuses on the challenges that the Malaysian AIDS council (MAC) have been facing in creating the social awareness. Moreover, this chapter briefly discusses the HIV epidemic in Malaysian context. The harm reduction and prevention campaigns as well as the intervention programs taken by MAC are then highlighted. Finally, the challenges associated with implementing such programs are also discussed.

Swaziland is one of the countries with the highest Human Immune-deficiency Virus (HIV) rates in the world. Consequently, the increased need for care and support for people living with Acquired Immune-deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), as well as orphaned and vulnerable children, is unprecedented. The response to combat the HIV epidemic has been evident in many areas as the country continues its fight against the HIV epidemic. However, efforts to provide care and support - including Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART), management of opportunistic infections, and community home-based care - have, so far, largely stemmed from the health sector. Housing care and other non-medical support is continuing to lag behind. Lack of proper housing is one of the deprivations suffered by orphaned children and people living with AIDS, which predisposes them to attacks by opportunistic infections and other vulnerabilities and disrupts the continuum of care, whilst at times denying occupants the required privacy.

This paper focuses on creating an understanding of why housing care and support for HIV and AIDS affected is lagging behind in Swaziland. It suggests cultural, economic, political and policy issues as the underlying reasons for this, and, therefore, concludes that there is need for bold policy reforms in these areas. In order to create a proper framework for such reforms, the paper reviews the following:

1. The national housing policy's implications on the care and support for people living with HIV and AIDS and the orphaned and vulnerable children; and

2. The current human settlements related responses to HIV and AIDS in Swaziland's rural, peri-urban and urban areas.

In this context, urban development planning paradigms and the extent to which HIV and AIDS is being integrated into the development plans are discussed.