AIDS/HIV crisis in developing countries: the need for greater understanding and innovative health promotion approaches.

Epidemiologic data on morbidity and mortality have shown that the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome/human immunodeficiency virus (AIDS/HIV) epidemic is relatively widespread in the developing countries of the world, especially in the already economically deprived regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa is estimated to have approximately 5 million seropositive individuals, and by the year 2000, this number is expected to include 10 million HIV-infected children. Improved control over this epidemic can only come through a greater understanding of the specifics of the disease and, eventually, the introduction of more effective and innovative health promotion campaigns targeted at medical personnel, traditional healers, families, and persons with AIDS. Comprehensive health promotion campaigns, carefully using mass media strategies in addition to more community-based programs, all operating under "decentralized" AIDS control programs, are reasoned to be the most efficacious approach that African and other developing countries can use to successfully contain the AIDS/HIV epidemic. Given the reality of the following factors: Pattern II (ie, transmission of AIDS via heterosexual sexual activity) is the main mode of HIV transmission in Africa, the traditional dominant roles males have in sexual relations, and the positive relationship between sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS, health promotion campaigns must focus specifically on addressing at-risk culturally related sexual values and behaviors in African communities. Failure to address these and other related factors will certainly lead to an escalation of the AIDS/HIV epidemic in Africa and, therefore, concomitant devastation in the human and societal realms of the region.