HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care in Mozambique, a Socio-Cultural Approach

This publication represents the practical experience of UNESCO Maputo in using the conceptual and methodological framework of the joint UNESCO/UNAIDS Project “A Cultural Approach to HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care”, with a view to contribute to sustainable human development in the country.

This publication is composed of three main components: an institutional assessment, a review of the available socio-cultural literature in the country and the field research. Some of the key issues in the report are: 1). Although there exists good quality sociological and anthropological research in Mozambique, there are also still significant gaps in the mapping of the rich variety of socio-cultural settings in the country; 2). HIV/AIDS cannot be separated from socioeconomic development and culture. The issue of HIV/AIDS is in other words, viewed within an intricate cycle of determinants and impacts. This in turn calls for programmes to be as holistic as possible in order to deal with this complex cycle in its entirety, rather than in a piecemeal manner; 3).Programme implementers and evaluators need not only to take the socio-cultural setting of their target group into account, but also to bear in mind that they themselves have cultural baggage and that this will colour their perception on sexual and reproductive health, sexuality and HIV/AIDS, as well as their manner of communicating on these sensitive and tricky issues.

This paper also discusses the uses of music, dance and theatre in number of IEC activities has also been cited as a way of making use of cultural means/channels, however, from the study it appears that the use of these methods only appear to serve recreational purposes, not necessarily educational purposes. As one activist reports: "some demonstrations sound like simple play" (personal communication).

The publication states that in Malawi some traditional dances like Manganje, Ngokwe, and Gule wa Mkule performances include music and dances that have sexual connotations, and are considered by some to actually encourage sexual promiscuity (Sabina H. Syed ed). A discussion with a musician revealed that some singers prefer to adopt happy melodies while others use sad melodies when they talk about the HIV/AIDS catastrophe. What effect this has on people in terms of making them aware of the seriousness of the epidemic and the need for behaviour change is unknown.