Article Review: Mobilization of Community Members to Improve Uptake Rates for HIV Treatment

Article Abstract

The study objective: A study by Leddy et al. [1] assessed HIV service uptake rates for a trial study of community mobilization initiative that focused on various social barriers in South Africa.

Background or context of the research: The authors cite the increase in recent efforts to improve the level of service uptake for HIV care in South Africa, but there remains a lack of timely research concerning which gender norms are most relevant in adversely affecting these rates.

Study design and method: This qualitative study used an inductive-deductive approach to analyze a series of 55 interviews of community members and intervention staff that were conducted during the closing months of a 3-year project in a rural South African province.

The principal conclusions and/or the results of the study: The results of this study determined that there are some specific strategies that clinicians can use to improve the uptake rate of HIV services by individuals in a rural South African community, including most especially directly addressing structural barriers and challenging gender norms that limit the accessibility of HIV services [1].

Keywords: HIV, South Africa, gender, service uptake, community mobilization

Introduction:

Statement of the Problem: Given that South Africa remains the largest epicenter of HIV globally, here is an urgent need to identify and implement custom-designed interventional strategies that take into account specific culture-based gender norms that currently limit the uptake of HIV services.

Purpose of the Study; The purpose of the Leddy et al. study was to evaluate the effectiveness of community mobilization initiative that was designed to improve the acceptance of HIV services by men and women in a rural South African community. The HIV-uptake improvement initiative, Tsima (or, loosely, Working together), included both women and men, and was implemented over the course of 3 years in a rural South African community in Mpumalanga province. In sum, this qualitative study sought to assess whether and how relevant gender norms were shifting, and to understand whether and how shifting norms were impacting HIV service uptake [1].

Research Questions or Hypotheses and Limitations (if any): Although not articulated as such, this study was guided by the general research question, How do gender norms in a South African community affect the uptake rates for HIV services? The authors also cite two main limitations: 1) the findings that emerged from this study are relevant for the South African community of interest and may not be generalizable to other jurisdictions; and 2) the purposive sample method used may also limit the generalizability of the results of the study to the community in a broader context [1].

Methodology:

Methods: The study site encompassed 31 villages of which 15 participated in the 3-year community mobilization intervention. These...…that is available but which is currently underused due to these gender-related issues [2]. These constraints to service uptake are perplexing to many Western observers who fail to take into account the centrality of gender norms in other societies.

Further, the authors employed a rigorous research method that was especially useful for the purposes of the study as well as the members of the targeted communities. In addition, the trustworthiness and soundness of the qualitative methods used by the authors was supported by the use of the ATLAS qualitative analysis application and the double-coding of the interview results. Finally, the studys research design was highly appropriate for the unique community settings that were involved, and the findings that emerged from the data analysis and interpretation were likely highly applicable for community health by identifying effective strategies to improve community mobilization.

Finally, HIV is certainly not a new public health threat for South Africa, and the prevalence of the disease continues to increase despite increasingly aggressive efforts by South African and international health organizations. The ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic has, of course, impeded progress in improving the delivery of health care services to treat HIV, but it makes little sense to save someones life from Covid only to have them die of another treatable disease. Therefore, studies of this nature are an important step in the right direction in identifying cost-effective ways to better…