April 2004 ECI/HIVAN HIV/AIDS Public Health Journal Club

Dr Anisa Mosam, Mandisa Mbali and Annie Devenish presented at April?’s Journal Club. Dr Mosam reviewed two articles, published in 2001 and 2003, on AIDS associated cancers in Sub-Saharan Africa and Kaposi?’s sarcoma in Africa. Mandisa and Annie appraised recent literature on African tradiitonal healing practices around HIV/AIDS in South Africa. They focused on E.C. Green?’s book Indigenous Theories of Contagious Disease and an article by A. Ashforth ?“An Epidemic of Witchcraft? The Implications of AIDS for the Post-Apartheid State?”.

The combination of biomedical and social science issues related to HIV/AIDS presented at the monthly journal club allows for a cross-disciplinary appreciation of the many aspects of the epidemic, and encourages the audience to interact on these different levels.

References for April Journal Club:

• Thomas, J.O. Acquired immunodeficiency Syndrome-Associated Cancers in Sub-Saharan Africa, Seminars in Oncology 28(2), 2001:198-206.
• Dedicoat, M. and Newton, R. Review of the distribution of Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) in Africa in relation to the incidence of Kaposi's sarcoma, British Journal Cancer 88(1), 2003:1-3.
• Ashforth, A, ?“An Epidemic of Witchcraft? The Implications of AIDS for the Post-Apartheid State?”, African Studies, 61(1), 2002.
• Green, E C, Indigenous Theories of Contagious Disease, Walnut Creek: Altimera/Sage, 1999.


Biosketches:

Dr Anisa Mosam:

Dr Anisa Mosam is a specialist and lecturer in the department of dermatology at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine and consults at the skin clinic based at KEH VIII. She has a special interest in HIV skin conditions and is currently conducting a trial on HAART in HIV associated Kaposi's sarcoma.

Mandisa Mbali:

Mandisa Mbali is research coordinator at Enhancing Care Initiative KwaZulu-Natal Plus. She is a medical historian and social scientist by training and an HIV/AIDS policy analyst. Her research interests are in HIV/AIDS, human rights, civil society and policy-making. She recently completed her MA degree in history at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Annie Devenish

Annie Devenish has an honours in history and a masters in Development Studies from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her honours dissertation focused on the social and economic history of black women in Durban city during the 1930s and 1940s. Her more recent research looks at the professionalisation of traditional healers in KZN, exploring how traditional healers are establishing themselves as health professionals in post apartheid South Africa, and looking at the dynamic economic and gender relations within the traditional healing community. She is currently working as a researcher in the School of Development Studies, focusing on women in the informal economy.