A
student-led effort across facilitate multidisciplinary dialogue, awareness,
and action on international development.
World AIDS Day
Hosted by the School of Public Health
This CUPID event tied into the Global Health Forum’s World AIDS Week series, which focused on the United Nations theme of World AIDS Day (“Stop AIDS, keep the promise”) and what kind of barriers are faced in meeting the ‘3 by 5’ goals.
The night began with the Public Health students giving two case studies -- one of Brazil and one of Botswana. Megan Gallagher and Benjamin Nemser presented these stories of success (in Brazil) and potential success (in Botswana), discussing in the case of Brazil why they were successful and in the case of Botswana had the hope of improving. To conclude, Sara Reis presented an assessment model, the scale-up model, as seen in Brazil. She evaluated it as a model that may or may not be successfully replicated in other countries.
Other speakers that night brought in perspectives to the cases presented by the Public Health speakers as well as their views on the status of HIV/AIDS. A faculty member, Dr. Gauri Bhattacharya from the School of Social Work, gave a case study from India that highlighted the social barriers of marriage that were barriers in preventing HIV transmission as well as treating it. (Citations for her work are below)
Another Social Work perspective was given by Hillary Ferguson, whose previous work counseling gay men in San Francisco allowed her to bring the universal problem of stigma to the table.
Julia Drapkin of the School of Journalism then gave a great critique on the stories she had heard throughout the night, and how they could be used effectively in the journalism world to rally support. She particularly thought that the individual stories shared by the case studies could stand out as examples of pieces that would really translate on paper.
Lastly, Deborah Baron, a dual degree student form SIPA and PH, gave comments on testing, spurring an enthusiastic discussion of universal testing and the effectiveness of setting goals like ‘3 by 5’.
Sources relied on in these presentations and for background included:
- The Kaiser Family Foundation. HIV/AIDS Policy Fact Sheet December2004.
- V. Oliveria-Cruz, J. Kowalski and B. McPake. “Viewpoint: The Brazilian HIV/AIDS ‘success story’ – can others do it?” Tropical Medicine and International Health. 9 February 2004. 292-297.
- Rollnick, Roman: "Botswana's high-stakes assault on AIDS". Africa Recovery, Vol.16 #2-3 September 2002, page 4
- Medeiros et al: "Estimating the length of the first antiretroviral therapy regiment durability in São Paulo, Brazil". Brazil Journal of Infectious Disease, vol.6, no.6, Salvador. December 2002.
- Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS
- World Health Organization
- Bhattacharya, G. (2004). Risks of HIV Transmission and the 100% Condom Use Program: A Comparative Study of HIV Prevention Programs in Thailand and in India. AIDS & Public Policy Journal 17 (4)
- Bhattacharya, G. (2004). Sociocultural and behavioral contexts of condom use in heterosexual married couples in India: Challenges to the HIV prevention program. Health Education & Behavior 31 (1)
- Bhattacharya, G. (2003). Cultural guidelines, cognitive scripts, and sexual meanings: Promoting the prevention of HIV Infection in India. The Community Psychologist 36 (2)
- Bhattacharya, G., Cleland, C., & Holland, S. (2000). Knowledge about HIV/AIDS, the perceived risks of infections, and sources of information by Asian Indian adolescents born in the United States. AIDS Care 12 (2)
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OTHER PAST FORUMS
Nov. 26, 2006: Trade
Nov. 8, 2006: Elections
Sept. 27, 2006: Energy
Apr. 19, 2006: Climate Change
Mar. 7, 2006: Non-Formal Education
Feb. 21, 2006: Immigration
Jan. 23, 2006: Media
Nov. 30, 2005: World Aids Day
Nov. 21, 2005: Hydropower
Oct. 10, 2005: Hurricane Katrina
To learn more or to get involved, contact CUPID's Forum Coordinator, Providence Spina (pms2113@columbia.edu).
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