After discussing public health communication primarily through the internet, it was interesting to hear Dr. Musa Dube share her experience spreading awareness on HIV/AIDS at a time before the internet existed. During the initial increase in HIV/AIDS cases, many communities in various countries throughout Africa stigmatized the virus. Additionally, religious figures across the continent would claim that the virus was a punishment for those who sinned. Because the early association between HIV/AIDS and homosexuality, many communities of worship believed the virus to be a disease for those who were gay. Rather than bring people together to combat the virus, this narrative worsened the problem by creating a false explanation on how the virus was spreading. Combating the stigma on HIV/AIDS was an especially difficult challenge for two main reasons. First, religious figures, who were trusted by many community members at the time, created division between those with and without the virus. Because people already believed the virus was targeting those who were gay, educating them otherwise was especially challenging. Second, information did not spread as quickly as it does today, making it more difficult to combat perceptions of HIV/AIDS.
Despite these obstacles, Dr. Dube helped change the narrative surrounding HIV/AIDS throughout Africa. She realized that priests and other members of the church were not trained on dealing with HIV/AIDS because it was a new phenomenon. Therefore, rather than become adversarial with religious figures, she used them to echo the proper information about the virus. Dr. Dube found textual evidence in the Bible supporting the proposition that Jesus was infected with HIV/AIDS. When religious figures began to share this message to churchgoers, they helped humanize the virus to people who previously viewed it as a punishment. Because these figures had persuasive power within their respective communities, educating one priest could in turn educate hundreds, or even thousands of people. An additional catalyst to Dr. Dube’s theological mission was the fact that HIV/AIDS became more prevalent in Africa, even affecting some religious leaders who once believed the virus was for those who have sinned. As a result, people were more willing to become educated on how to avoid transmission and treat virus in an effort to rebuild their communities.
Dr. Dube’s use of religious figures to spread awareness about a pandemic may seem outdated in a secularizing society, but her methods could still be just as powerful in certain communities across the globe. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, some religious institutions spread narratives regarding vaccines or testing that conflict with current scientific knowledge. With over 80% of the world population associating with a religion, Dr. Dube’s methods would likely be effective in corrective misrepresentations regarding COVID-19.
Hi Steven, nice job with your post! I agree, I think that Dr. Dube’s method of engaging with churches would really help with fighting COVID-19. It makes me wonder, in the time of Zoom, why hasn’t there been a notable convention or presentation of sorts that details these kinds of ideas, such as “Jesus had COVID”? While it may not be possible to convince everyone, it could likely influence a lot of pastors, which would influence more religious people to have a certain mindset against COVID while supporting their neighbors.
Hi,
Great post! I appreciated how you chose to include specific reasons for why religion didn’t bring people together at the start of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. I agree that issues such as the widespread belief that HIV/AIDS was a “gay” disease and the (relatively) slow spread of information complicated the relationship between religion and disease. After hearing Dr. Dube share her story and her role combatting the false perceptions of HIV/AIDS in religious communities, it’s clear that she has had a monumental role in what you described as changing the narrative. I believe one of the reasons she was so effective at doing so was because she enacted change correctly; she met with church leaders, she educated them through discussions that were understandable (i.e., utilizing the bible to support her stance), and she encouraged them to welcome community members despite their status. In short, it was fascinating to hear from Dr. Dube and hear her incredible accomplishments that boosted acceptance of people living with HIV/AIDS in the religious community and strengthen communities as a whole. I agree that Dr. Dube’s method may be appropriate in other contexts (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) because it so heavily focuses on bringing together local leaders, communicating in an understandable, community-centered way, and encouraging these leaders to relay the message and modify their behavior.
Great post Steven. I wonder if instead of “Jesus has COVID” one could take the approach that “Jesus cared for/healed the sick and took care of his neighbor” and then apply that to masking and getting vaccinated/boosted. Do you think that would work?