HIV prevention: Towards a “structural-plus” approach

Indrani Gupta, William Joe, Shalini Rudra

Health Policy Research Unit, Institute of Economic Growth, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
Population Research Centre, Institute of Economic Growth, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.

DOI: 10.4236/health.2013.51014                

Abstract

Lack of integration and coordination between HIV prevention programmes and developmental programmes explain why many countries have not been able to halt the epidemic, and others still have unacceptably high prevalence. A framework is presented here with supporting evidence to argue that existing structural interventions may be unsustainable in the long run because they do not address core developmental issues or the “structural plus factors”. This problem emanates from the almost total administrative and intellectual disconnect between policies that address development issues and those that address HIV prevention. Usual prevention packages may result only in short term benefits. To get the most out of limited global resources on prevention, it is critical that planners recognize and understand that parallel policies for AIDS prevention and development are not going to be cost-effective and sustainable, and the only option is to approach prevention as well as development in an integrated manner.

Keywords

HIV; Prevention; Structural Factors; Development

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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