HIV/AIDS: What Role for Library and Information Centres?

Introduction

According to this article ”the most serious problem facing Southern Africa, at present, is the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Science has so far failed to discover an effective and affordable cure for HIV/AIDS, and the solution lies within the social sciences to find the best way to facilitate behavioural change among the population to adapt safe practices and avoid catching the deadly disease. At the centre of human behaviour change is the acquisition and application of innovative information and knowledge by individuals at risk, particularly the young people who form the majority of those who are being infected daily with the deadly virus."

The author proposes that library and information services should seek to study and understand the social science dimension of HIV/AIDS in a way that they may craft a meaningful role for information centres and make a meaningful contribution towards combating HIV/AIDS. Through strategic building of information resources and community directed information services, library services can a make a major contribution towards managing and ultimately defeating HIV/AIDS through disseminating useful information directly to the public, as well as providing forums for debate and discussion. The author's research has found that young people lack access to good, accurate information.

According to the article, there is a large and wide range of locally produced materials on HIV/AIDS. The materials include newsletters, periodicals, booklets, reports, flyers, and posters. In spite of the wide range of materials, some field workers complained that they did not have any materials back up at all. To address existing bottlenecks, the author suggests a Clearinghouse to coordinate awareness and access to HIV/AIDS related materials and resources. Community Information Centres could also be set up where they do not exist, or improved where they exist to stock a wide range of materials on HIV/AIDS for counselors, health workers, community workers, and members of the public who need information.

The paper concludes, "the analysis of perceptions on sexuality and HIV has clearly shown the need to open a broad dialogue in which the most endangered groups and policy makers can open a dialogue and put the issues of sexuality, gender, and HIV prevention strategies on the discussion forum. It would be useful therefore for libraries to look at the mandate of information dissemination in broad terms, to include debates, lectures, and discussion fora for members of their target community. "

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