AFRO-NETS> Grand Challenge

[Mark Winiarski <mgw@iway.na>]

Grand Challenge
---------------
 
Please allow me to share the summary of the statement that I sent to 
the Gates Foundation and other groups requesting us to name grand 
challenges in healthcare.
 
Dying of shame
 
Summary: The most effective health interventions are worthless if 
they are not used. Shame, discrimination, and stigma (SDS) block peo-
ple from accessing available healthcare interventions. Rather than 
risk public disclosure and possible stigma and discrimination, people 
around the world would rather suffer and die and have their children 
suffer and die. Experts and ground-level providers have warned us re-
peatedly of the power of SDS. For example, Jonathan Mann said the 
third phase of the HIV epidemic was that of stigma, discrimination, 
and denial. Yet, few researchers, nations and development partners 
have systematically attempted to understand and intervene in SDS. The 
grand challenge is to understand and diminish shame, discrimination 
and stigma so peoples and individuals are willing to access available 
and effective biomedical and psychosocial interventions.
 
Regards,
 
Mark Winiarski
HIV/AIDS Unit
University of Namibia
mailto:mgw@iway.na
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