AIDS and South Africa--towards a comprehensive strategy. Part III. The role of education

In this, the third of a three-part series of articles in which we emphasise the urgent need for and propose steps towards a comprehensive strategy for the control of HIV infection, we highlight the fundamental importance of an education campaign and the three critical essentials for a successful campaign. The first concerns the responsibility of the State in administering the programme, in providing adequate funds on an on-going basis and in delegating responsibility for the day-to-day activities to the appropriate local authorities and non-governmental organisations. The second relates to the need to establish a multidisciplinary AIDS group representative of groups at risk and of relevant scientific expertise to ensure that appropriate policies are developed and that changes to policy are made in response to changing circumstances, based on sound epidemiological, managerial and educational principles. These must take particular account of circumstances peculiar to South Africa, such as the migrant labour system, which may promote both promiscuity and homosexuality. Thirdly, the need to ensure open, appropriate communication with the groups at risk and the public at large in the development, implementation and evaluation of the education campaign is emphasised. In this context we plead for more psychosocial research. These recommendations were reached largely by consensus, although there were occasions when individual authors condoned recommendations with which they did not personally agree.