Towards a strengthened prevention of HIV Campaign in South Africa: Eclectic contexts

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to discuss various strategies for strengthening HIV prevention modus operandi. This is due to the prevalence of the HIV disease that increases the burden of disease, as well as the apparent unsustainable cost of ARVs. The article used a traditional literature review methodology to collect data from various data engines, such as EBSCOhost, Web of Science, Scopus, Education Resources Information Centre (ERIC), ProQuest, and Google Scholar. The findings reflected the following strategies: Revisiting the erstwhile IEC 2001-2010 HIV messaging strategies to the whole country; an introspection of the dwindling resources to fund access to ARVs for PLWHA in South Africa; mainstreaming/integrating HIV into all HEI curricula in South Africa; working on stigma and stigmatisation to raise HIV awareness and reducing alcohol intake to step up the HIV prevention modus operandi. The article concludes that due to a heavy disease burden on account of the high costs of the ARVs, an indication of more cure than prevention, it is therefore topical and relevant that the country strengthen its HIV prevention strategies. The article leverages scholarship on public health education to accelerate response in South Africa. It also adds theory to assist other researchers in the field of HIV/AIDS.