AIDS in Africa: Broadening the Perspectives on Research and Policy-Making. An Introduction

An interdisciplinary research group on AIDS in Africa has recently been established in Germany with the aim of - in collaboration with developmental organisations - building a more effective basis for the planning and implementation of those AIDS programs which have, thus far, not succeeded in significantly improving the situation of HIV/AIDS in Africa. The dialogue between researchers representing various fields promises a more differentiated understanding of how people and societies cope with the threat of HIV/AIDS and how, in turn, the epidemic has affected ideas and behaviours, as well as political, economic and social institutions in sub-Saharan Africa. The contributions to this issue which provide an overview of the work and research of some members of this group emphasise two things. First, individual and communal strategies for coping with HIV/AIDS in Southeastern Africa have to be situated at the intersection of global, national and local contexts, and with regard to the respective interests and discourses which characterise each of these levels and the relations between them. Second, while individuals and communities are actively engaged in giving meaning to HIV/AIDS, these social and cultural discourses are increasingly shaped by concerns about the disruption of local and moral worlds.