Social change communication: a panacea for HIV and AIDS?-An outlook of a program manager

For about three decades of the pandemic of HIV and AIDS, need for an effective response has been felt very strongly. Human behavior being complex; widespread behavior changes are challenging to achieve. Understanding of the dynamics of HIV transmission cannot be separated from an understanding of the broader context of poverty, inequality and social exclusion which create conditions under which unsafe behavior flourishes HIV/AIDS is not a mere health issue: its occurrence is influenced by a number of socio-economic, cultural and ecological determinants. Thus social change communication incorporating the enhanced behavior change communication emerges as an inclusive way of responding to HIV/AIDS issues. Social change communication can tackle structural drivers of the HIV epidemic, with a particular focus on the drivers of gender inequality, stigma, discrimination and denial and human rights violations. Based on his understanding of social change communication as a practitioner and an AIDS control program manager, the author examines whether the issues related to social change communication make it an effective instrument for the containment of HIV and AIDS.