African Higher Education Institutions Responding to the HIV/AIDS Pandemic

Paper presented at the AAU Conference of Rectors, Vice Chancellors and Presidents of African Universities, 2003. The paper examines the situation of HIV/AIDS globally, and in Africa. The central message of the paper is that higher education institutions must develop a comprehensive HIV prevention programme which runs through and drives each of the following: HIV/AIDS policy and strategy development; developing culturally appropriate prevention messages; tackling socio-economic factors; establishing partnerships; sustaining awareness and education; challenging denial and stigma; situating prevention in a community context; linking care to prevention; rigorous scientific reflection. [Adapted from author]