SAHARA Conference - 9-12 May 2004 - Cape Town ICC

SAHARA, or the Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research Alliance, is a resource network that facilitates social science research on HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.

The first SAHARA Conference was held in Pretoria in 2003, and this year it was held in Cape Town from 9-12 May. Hosted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), the theme of the second African Conference was ?“Social Aspects to Care and Treatment?”. Its aim was to discuss ways of linking findings from social sciences research to practical HIV/AIDS prevention strategies, in order to prevent the further spread of HIV and mitigate its impact on the African continent. Programme topics included nutrition, food security, the financing of AIDS, legal and customary law issues, drugs and trade-related issues, and children and orphans.

The Conference was particularly useful in introducing SAHARA to a variety of organisations doing HIV/AIDS work in Africa, and to integrate SAHARA?’s activities more closely with those organisations.

Day 1: Framework for access to care:

During the first day?’s plenary session, Olive Shisana (HSCR, SAHARA) described SAHARA?’s purpose in terms of a resource network for sub-Saharan Africa, which is to link researchers and institutions. Research generates evidence for decision-making, and as such, can usefully inform policy and practice. SAHARA?’s outputs were listed as pilot interventions, increasing research capacity in developing countries, decreasing social barriers to access to treatment, ?“Best Practice?” documents, policy briefs, the SAHARA journal, and a regional database and website providing research information via the Internet. Shisana noted that there is a need to sign agreements with regional institutions and communities to develop networks towards a concerted and combined effort in fighting HIV/AIDS. She also encouraged greater involvement of women.

Policies of access to care -Miriam K. Were (Chairman, National AIDS Council, Kenya)

Miriam Were gave a powerful presentation during Monday?’s plenary, saying that AIDS was endorsing the view that Africans are helpless and ?“can?’t make it?”. This is simply not true, but the devastating impact of AIDS on the continent does mean that countering hopelessness is a major challenge. Even in countries where treatment is available, people needing it are still not able to gain access to it.?“We need to replace hopelessness with hope and optimism?”, said Were. ?“We need research, but we have to be careful that while we are researching we also have action groups and activists working to turn the HIV/AIDS pandemic around.?” She cited the story of a ship?’s cook: A ship?’s cook was preparing a meal for the captain of the ship while they were out at sea. He was busy making the custard for the pudding when an alert sounded to say the ship was in trouble and taking in water. All crew were asked to assist in bailing. A seaman came to call the cook to help, but he replied ?“I am making pudding for the captain and it must be perfect?”, and he continued stirring, refusing to leave his station in case the custard burnt. The crew could not save the ship and it sank, with the seamen, captain and cook still on board. The morale of the story is that if we are so intent on stirring the custard to make a perfect pudding, we may not realise that the ship is sinking.

What research is required?

• Research on self-image. We need to entrench a positive self-image in people.
• Research that empowers people, for example that empowers community-based healthcare workers, who are confronted on a daily basis with the distress and horror that is full-blown AIDS.
• Genuine research. There is a dire need for authenticity, and researchers need acknowledge this. They need to bring something to the communities they are researching, and not merely adopt the approach: ?“We know nothing, you know everything?”.


SAHARA must help Africa help itself to counter disempowerment, and so spread throughout Africa the energy of hopefulness.

The full report can be accessed on the righthand side of this page