Results of the Readings

Through the readings that were assigned to us, mainly "Risk Communication" by Lundgren and Mcmakin, I have come to some points where particular sections have affected my project in some way whether it is an influence or a complication.

The initial area of complication arose when I read that the importance of “defining audience role at the beginning and frequently.” (96) It was somewhat difficult for me because it took a while for me to actually narrow it down and decide who my audience was going to be. From there I had to decide what their role was going to be in this process. On page 100, it said that you can’t communicate unless you now who you are communicating to. I decided that for this risk there is a primary and secondary audience. Each audience is important in reducing the risk but different messages need to be tailored to comply with each audience. The primary audience for this risk communication is the youth in highly infected areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. The secondary audience is organizations outside of the African continent who are working towards mitigating the spread of AIDS. The two messages would be constructed very differently from one and other.

In chapter 7, it mentioned that you must look at the purpose and objectives of what you are doing in order to better understand the audience you are trying to reach. Although I had an idea of what the purpose of my effort was, it was helpful to confirm that by seeing it written down. In care communication, the purpose is to increase awareness and change a specific risky behavior and that is exactly what the purpose of this risk communication process is set out to do. What made it relate specifically to my topic was the reference to the group who’s behavior that you are addressing. They listed: an entire community, an ethnic group, OR a specific group across the country. Right there in the text it basically stated the purpose of my effort which was very helpful.

Lastly, on pages 98-99 of the text, they discussed how important it was to communicate early, often, and fully. That is probably the biggest problem that has arisen with this issue. They gave the example of what happened with the West Nile Outbreak in 1999. A response plan was developed and implemented immediately following the outbreak allowing for the message to be communicated early. They used different mediums to spread awareness such as television, radio, and public service announcements in order for it to be communicated often. Finally, they allowed people to ask questions and answered them so that the message would be communicated fully. I constantly question if these measures would have been taken in the 1970s when the AIDS outbreak initiated in Africa whether or not this would have become such a widespread problem. The risk is not being communicated to the likes of these standards for that matter; it is barely even being communicated at all.

The readings have helped me in finding areas that I need to continue to work on and develop as well as areas reinforced things that I have already picked up on. This risk communication process is a constant work in progress.

Categorizing the Risk

The issue of the AIDS epidemic in Africa almost can fit into all three categories of risk communication. They are “Care, Consensus, and Crisis” communication. Each method provides for the most effective way to deliver a message to the audience depending on the time and circumstances. The main risk I am trying to communicate is the repercussions of not putting an end to the harmful effects of HIV and AIDS on the people and societies within the African continent.

If the problem had not magnified into what it is today, and a plan was being devised on how to prevent or deal with the health care risks of AIDS, it could be considered “care communication”. Since the circumstances have led to the rapid spread of the HIV virus, “care communication” only now comes into play in communicating the risks of it progressing any further. There are certain people who can benefit greatly from this. It would tremendously help the situation if uninfected people were provided with some sort of plan describing the risks involved and how to manage them. If “care communication” had been implemented prior to the outbreak of AIDS, the situation may not have become as big of an issue as it is today.

But for the most part, “care communication” is not the proper way to communicate this risk. The AIDS outbreak poses an immediate threat to the people mainly located in Sub-Saharan Africa, which falls under another category, “crisis communication”. The majority of the audience is a group of people who are already HIV positive. This type of risk communication deals with communicating risks during an emergency. This seems like the most appropriate or logical method to use. The outbreak has already occurred and extremely high numbers of people are becoming infected daily. It is important for a plan to be put into action. At this point, they have surpassed the “care” phase and seemingly fit right into the “crisis” phase. If I had to choose only one category to use to communicate this risk, it would be “crisis communication”.

Lastly, alongside “care communication” comes “consensus communication”. It consists of groups working together to make a decision on how to manage the risks. In order for this risk to be taken care of, groups do need to collaborate with one and other. The people of Africa cannot put an end to this on their own. The same goes for any outside efforts. It would be completely hopeless to attempt to intervene in a society without their input. “Consensus communication” allows everyone who has some stake in the management of the risk to work with hand in hand and become involved. This category seems to be an underlying tactic for both “care” and “crisis” communication.

Since different parts of Africa are at different phases when it comes to the AIDS epidemic, all three methods of communication are important and useful. It is vital to put a strong emphasis on the fact that action needs to be taken immediately ultimately placing this issue under “crisis communication”.

AIDS in Africa: Framing the Problem

The worldwide AIDS epidemic is taking over the lives of millions of people. Around 42 million people today are living with AIDS. The epicenter of this global epidemic is located in sub-Saharan Africa, where two-thirds of the infected people reside.

The disorder has become uncontrollable in the Southern most parts of Africa in particular. The spread of AIDS can be attributed to the poverty of the region. It tends to thrive in the poorest of communities, such as South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. Because of the financial situation that these countries are in, they are unable to provide medications to the ill. By 2005, within those countries, 85-90% of infected people were not receiving the antiretroviral drugs that they should have been getting Link to source. Not only is this a financial struggle, the cultural aspect does not make intervention any easier. There is little to no effort put into spreading awareness. The unwillingness to discuss the risks of the HIV virus amongst a community can cause serious repercussions. That runs hand in hand with the sexual practices of the region. In many African cultures practicing abstinence, requesting faithfulness from a partner, and the use of condoms are easier said then done Link to Source. The socio-cultural dynamics create situations of vulnerability- meaning, until the sexual behaviors are modified, declines are not possible Link to source.

The HIV virus is not only creating a sick population, but also millions and millions of orphaned African children. For the most part, those who are affected are the same people who are causing the problem. They are caught up in a vicious cycle that seems to have no end. There are organizations devoted to the ebbing of AIDS global, primarily focusing on Africa. Political figures devote some attention to the epidemic and contribute minimal funds, but it is still not enough Link to Source.

The solution starts with prevention. It is extremely important to educate the people, mainly youth, on how to avoid contact with the HIV virus and ultimately AIDS. It is important for young women in particular to learn that they can overcome the social vulnerabilities and provide for their families in a healthier way. With that comes financial assistance. Without proper funds, nothing will be able to develop in the poverty stricken areas of Southern Africa. Lastly, treatments need to be provided for the sick. With what funds are available, treatments should be distributed to the ill.

These solutions are already implemented in some way or another within Africa. Efforts are being put forth and these are the methods being used to stop the spread of AIDS, but the support is not enough. Awareness needs to be raised in order for the support to make a lasting impact.

Topic Ideas

I am currently a sophomore planning on majoring in Health Information Management. The field is compromised of a mixture of healthcare (medicine), business, and technology so there are many areas in which risk communication can be examined.

The first area I am interested in exploring has to do with Healthcare Management directly. It is very important to have adequate ways to handle and input patient data or information within a healthcare facility. Everything must be handled efficiently and correctly to make sure that patients are provided with the appropriate care. It is a person?s health and well being that is relying on a health care professional to make sure that the patient is provided with the proper medical attention and having proper and up to date patient records is the first step, especially in times of an emergency.

My second area is a little bit more general, but still connected to healthcare. I find that an important issue to communicate risk to a majority of the population is smoking. It may seem like a minor issue but tobacco is a cause in complications and deaths to so many people. There already are organizations focused on tobacco awareness, such as TRUTH, that have effective advertisements but it does not seem to be reaching enough people. That would be an area I might be interested in looking into further throughout this semester.

Lastly, during my time so far at Pitt, aside from Health Information Management I have developed a keen interest in learning about the African continent, culture, and history. In my brief observations I have seen so many issues that need our immediate attention. One in particular is the AIDS situation that is taking the lives of millions of people at a time. The death toll is rising dramatically daily. In my readings, it seems like not much effort is going into AIDS awareness to assist the ongoing crisis. The social aspect of the region does not aid in halt in the spread of the disease. It seems like they are in dire need of an interjection, and for a plan to be formed to stop the disaster. The lack of education and risk communication in the parts of Africa that are suffering is allowing the people there to live in constant grief, if they even live at all. I would like to further explore one or all of these issues this semester to help me to understand them more, and also to understand Risk Communication better in general.