Systemic Barriers to MSM HIV/AIDS Prevention Work: Researchi

Date:2009-01-14 10:47   Source:ghei.org   Writer:bgheiadmin

 

 

This paper is a summary of many years of research and thinking on the problems existing in the practice of HIV/AIDS prevention work, by and for, the MSM population in China.

 

The author is in complete agreement with the existing policy guidelines that appoint the Government, in cooperation with relevant departments, to take the leading role in HIV/AIDS prevention in China, with the participation of community NGO’s and the MSM population, as outlined in: 'China’s Action Plan for Reducing and Preventing the Spread of HIV/AIDS 2006-2010'. And we hope that this guideline will be carried out and developed through the course of its implementation.

 

This research report provides a comprehensive analysis and deconstruction, from various perspectives, of the various problems influencing the success of the established guidelines and their implementation during the practice of HIV/AIDS prevention work. In this analysis our focus is on the target group of HIV/AIDS prevention volunteers practicing in the MSM community.

 

Another problem examined, is the tensions inherent in the relationship between leaders, implementers, participants and supporters within the Government Public Health Administration Technical Department, public health NGO’s, and relevant International NGO’s, and how this impacts on their behaviour in HIV/AIDS prevention practice.

 

Mr Tong Ge has a strong, long term relationship of mutual respect with MSM community volunteer organizations in China, as well as MSM venue owners and operators. He has also enjoyed a positive and long-term interaction with the CDC; operators in the Public Health Department, and International and domestic NGOs, and he has become their trusted friend. He frequently communicates and shares ideas and information with many influential experts associated with this area of work, including international experts. He also participates in most of the many workshops, training activities and conferences related to these issues, in different cities all around China-including social investigation on various topics.

 

Through this broad experience and engagement Mr Tong Ge aims to provide an in-depth, holistic and representative review of the domestic MSM community groups working situation in HIV/AIDS prevention. Through this extensive experience and research Mr Tong Ge provides a comprehensive investigation with a frankness, seriousness, and concern to analyse and summarise the existing system and the conceptual and actual barriers to the practice of HIV/AIDS prevention work amongst the MSM population.

 

This report demonstrates the main challenges of existing systemic and conceptual barriers including the following key issues:

 

• The barriers between the “Government oriented” and the “civil-society” oriented perspective.

• The barriers between a “Public Health” perspective, and that of “Social Science.”

• The tensions between “academic” based research and “community” based research.

• The barriers between adopted international theory orientations and localized epistemology and methodologies.

• Conflict of interests between various relevant government departments.

• The barriers between the Government orientations for “achievement” and the orientation of community HIV/AIDS prevention work.

 

This report exposes these systemic barriers and the resultant disharmony that can be caused, including:

 

• Monopoly of power and interests vs. anti-monoply

• Control vs. anti-control

• Network resource utilization vs. anti-network utilisation.

• The unequal or wasteful distribution of resources and resource-drain.

• The growth and exposure of “AIDS corruption.”

 

The writer highlights the need to immediately solve these important issues——

Mr Tong Ge recommends that Government leaders should provide special attention and efforts to these issues, and cooperate with all stakeholders to adopt measures to restrict or resolve them. Meanwhile, the support of all experts who have an interest in this area is also required to assist in addressing these problems. All International Organisations involved in HIV/AIDS prevention work for the Chinese MSM population, also need to contribute to addressing these issues and assist with working on solutions and adopting a coordinated approach to raise awareness of these problems, their restrictions and assist in working towards correcting them.

 

The MSM population and their volunteer organisations also have an incredibly important role to play in emphasising and addressing these problems. We need to work to overcome our own weaknesses and limitations, and try to develop the theoretical ability, organsiational management skills, and mutual cooperation required, otherwise the negative result of the above problems will be the excuses for  “AIDS corruption.”

 

Through the existence of these problems and during the process of addressing and solving these issues, for everyday that is wasted there will be so many people who will “fall down from the Garden of Eden” into a “Paradise Lost.”

And we will pay a huge cost in civilian health, and ultimately, in lives.