Socio-cultural perspectives of HIV/AIDS communication amongst the Borana Pastoralist community in Ethiopia

Abstract

HIV/AIDS messages should be tailored to the specific contexts of the target community. Aspects such as the socio-cultural resources, communication dynamics, norms, and the value system of the target community determine the success of HIV/AIDS communication. The purpose of this study was to assess the socio-cultural appropriateness of HIV/AIDS communication among the pastoralist community in Borana, Ethiopia. Different health models and theories were reviewed to guide the study and qualitative case study design was used. Data was collected from the Borana pastoralist community in the Arero district using three different methods. Firstly, semi-structured interviews were held with cultural leaders, religious fathers, and healthcare workers. Secondly, focus-group interviews were held with male and female households, and lastly, a document analysis was conducted of the National HIV/AIDS policy of Ethiopia. Triangulation by means of the three methods ensured that reliable, valid, and credible data was collected. Contextual domains, like socio-cultural contexts, are considered key for effective HIV/AIDS communication in Africa. However, the findings indicated that HIV/AIDS communication among the Borana pastoralists was not tailored to the contextual domains in the local area. The communication was not appropriate to the pastoralists‘ realities, for example: livelihoods, mobility, droughts, and tough climate, which could hamper accessibility to HIV/AIDS messages. Traditional practices and belief systems continued to hamper the efficacy of HIV/AIDS communication. The findings also affirmed that HIV/AIDS communication disregarded the collectivist culture of Borana. The communication approach was top-down, expert-based, persuasive, urban-centred, and individual-behavioural-change oriented. As a result, this study contributed to developing a conceptual framework that considers the socio-cultural path of HIV/AIDS communication for the Borana pastoralist community. The study also pointed out that the national HIV/AIDS policy of Ethiopia — and the health system in general — needs to consider the socio-cultural contexts for the improvement of HIV/AIDS prevention among the underprivileged populations, such as the Borana pastoralist community.

HIV/vigs-boodskappe moet toegespits wees op die spesifieke kontekste van die teikengemeenskap. Aspekte soos die sosiokulturele hulpbronne, kommunikasie-dinamiek, norms en die waardestelsel van die teikengemeenskap bepaal die sukses van HIV/vigs kommunikasie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die sosiokulturele gepastheid van HIV/vigs-kommunikasie onder die veeboergemeenskap in Borana, Ethiopië, te assesseer. Verskillende gesondheidsmodelle en -teorieë is hersien om die studie te lei, en ’n kwalitatiewe gevallestudie-ontwerp is gebruik. Data is ingesamel by die Borana-veeboergemeenskap in die Arero-distrik deur van drie verskillende metodes gebruik te maak. Eerstens is halfgestruktureerde onderhoude gedoen met kulturele leiers, godsdienstige vaders en gesondheidswerkers. Tweedens is fokusgroep-onderhoude gedoen met manlike en vroulike huishoudings, en laastens is ’n dokumentontleding uitgevoer van die nasionale HIV/vigs beleid in Ethiopië. Triangulasie deur middel van die drie metodes het verseker dat betroubare, geldige en geloofwaardige data ingesamel is. Kontekstuele domeine, soos sosiokulturele kontekste, word as deurslaggewend beskou vir doeltreffende HIV/vigs kommunikasie in Afrika. Die bevindings het egter aangedui dat HIV/vigs kommunikasie onder die Borana-veeboere nie toegespits is op die kontekstuele domeine in die plaaslike area nie. Die kommunikasie is nie geskik vir die veeboere se werklikhede, byvoorbeeld hulle lewensbestaan, mobiliteit, droogtes en harde klimaat nie, wat toeganklikheid van HIV/vigs-boodskappe kan belemmer. Tradisionele praktyke en geloofstelsels het die doeltreffendheid van HIV/vigs-kommunikasie bly belemmer. Die bevindings het ook bevestig dat HIV/vigs-kommunikasie die kollektivistiese kultuur van Borana verontagsaam het. Die kommunikasie-benadering was ’n afwaartse benadering, kenner gebaseerd, oortuigend, stadsgesentreerd en individueel gedragsveranderingsgeoriënteerd. Gevolglik het hierdie studie bygedra tot die ontwikkeling van ’n konseptuele raamwerk wat die sosiokulturele weg van HIV-vigs-kommunikasie vir die Borana-veeboergemeenskap in ag neem. Die studie het ook aangedui dat die nasionale HIV/vigs-beleid van Ethiopië – en die gesondheidstelsel oor die algemeen – die sosiokulturele kontekste in ag moet neem vir die verbetering van HIV-vigs-voorkoming onder die minderbevoorregte bevolkings, soos die Borana-veeboergemeenskap.

Imiyalezo ye-HIV/AIDS kufanele ihambisane nezimo ezithile zalowo mphakathi ebhekiswe kuwo. Iminxa efana nezinsiza zenhlalakahle-namasiko, izindlela zokukhulumisana, izinkambiso kanye nohlelo olubalulekile lwalowo mphakathi okubhekiswe kuwo yikho okubonisa impumelelo ekukhulumisaneni ngezinto ezithinta i-HIV/AIDS. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo bekuwukuhlola isimo esikahle senhlalakahle-namasiko ekukhumisaneni ngezinto ezithinta i-HIV/AIDS ekuhlalisaneni kwabelusi bendawo yase-Borana, e-Ethiopia. Lolu cwaningo lwenziwe ngokusebenzisa ucwaningo lokuhlola iqophelo kwabuyekezwa izindlela zezempilo ezahlukene namatiyori ukuze kuqondiswe ucwaningo. Idatha iqoqwe kusetshenziswa izindlela ezintathu ezahlukene kubelusi bendawo yase-Borana esifundeni sase-Arero. Okokuqala, kubanjwe izingxoxo kungazelele nabaholi bezamasiko, obaba bezenkolo kanye nabasebenzi bezempilo. Okwesibili, kwenziwe inhlolokhono namaqoqo okugxilwe kuwo nemindeni yabesilisa nabesifazane, kwathi ekugcineni, kwacwaningwa umbhalo wenqubomgomo ye-HIV/AIDS Kuzwelonke e-Ethiopia. Ukusebenzisa lezi zindlela ezintathu kuye kwaqinisekisa ukuthi kuqoqwa idatha ethembekile, esebenzayo, nengangabazeki. Iminxa enzulu, njengezimo zenhlalakahle-namasiko, ithathwa njengebalulekile ekukhulumisaneni ngempumelelo ngezinto ezithinta i-HIV/AIDS e-Afrika. Kodwa-ke, imiphumela ibonisa ukuthi ukukhulumisana ngezinto ezithinta i-HIV/AIDS nabelusi bendawo yase-Borana akuhambisani nezimo zendawo. Ukukhulumisana bekungahambisani nesimo esiyiso ngabantu bendawo, isibonelo, indlela yokuziphilisa, ezokuthutha/ izinto zokuhamba, isomiso, nesimo sezulu esingabekezeleki, nokungase kuphazamise ukuthi imiyalezo ye-HIV/AIDS ifinyelele emphakathini. Imikhuba yendabuko kanye nezinhlelo zezinkolelo kuqhubekile nokukhinyabeza ukusebenza kahle kwezokukhulumisana ngezinto ezithinta i-HIV/AIDS. Okutholakele kuphinde kwaqinisekisa ukuthi ukukhulumisana ngezinto ezithinta i-HIV/AIDS akuwahloniphi amasiko omphakathi wase-Borana. Indlela yokukhulumisana bekuwukutshela abantu, yenziwe ochwepheshe, ibalula izinkolelo, igxile ezintweni zasemadolobheni futhi igxile ekuguquleni ukuziphatha komuntu ngamunye. Ngenxa yalokhu, lolu cwaningo ludale ukuba kuqhanyukwe nolunye uhlaka oluzobheka indlela yenhlalakahle-namasiko ekukhulumisaneni ngezinto ezithinta i-HIV/AIDS nabelusi bendawo yase-Borana. Lolu cwaningo luphinde lwaveza ukuthi inqubomgomo ye-HIV/AIDS Kuzwelonke e-Ethiopia - kanye nohlelo lwezempilo jikelele - kudingeka ukuthi ibhekele nezimo zenhlalakahle-namasiko ukuze kuphuculwe izindlela zokuvimbela i-HIV/AIDS kubantu abampofu, njengabelusi bendawo yase-Borana.

Ergaan HIV/AIDS kallattiin haala jiruufi jireenya hawaasichaan wal simachuu qaba. Milkaa’ina komunikeeshinii ittisa HIV/AIDS ilaalchisee kanneen murteessoo ta’an: aadaafi hawaasummaa, koorniyaa, amantaa, tooftaalee komunikeeshinii, sirna safuufi duudhaalee haawaasichaa fa’i. Dhimmi qorannoo kanaa Komunikeeshiniin ittisa HIV/AIDS naannoo horsiisee bulaa Booranaa haalota aadaafi hawaasummaa, koorniyaa, amantaa, jiruufi jireenya hawaasichaan wal simachuu isaa adda baasuudha. Qorannoo kana geggeessuuf sakattaan akkayyaawwaniifi yaadximoota komunikeeshinii fayyaarratti xiyyeeffatan taasifameera. Qorannoon kun akaakuu qorannoo akkamtaa kan hordofe yoo ta’u, mala qorannoo dhimqoo irratti kan hundaa’eedha. Ragaaleen qorannoo kanaa horsiisee bulaa Booranaa, Araddaa Areeroo, keessaa funaaname.Ragaaleen kunniinis tooftaalee adda addaa sadiin kan funaanaman yoo ta’u isaanis: af-gaaffii xiyyeeffannaa (abbootii Gadaa, dursaalee amantiifi ogeessota fayyaa), af-gaaffii marii garee xiyyeeffannaa (abbootii manaafi haadholii) fi xiinxala kuufata Imaammata HIV/AIDS Itoophiyaadha.Tooftaalee sadeen kunniin qulqul’ina, haqummaafi amanamummaa ragaalee qorannoo mirkaneessaniiru. Biyyoota Afriikaa keessatti, dhukkuba HIV/AIDS ittisuuf haalonni aadaafi hawaasummaa murteesoodha. Haa ta’u malee, argannoon qorannoo kanaa kan mul’isu, komunikeeshiniin ittisa HIV/AIDS haalota horsiisee bulaa Booranaan kan wal simate miti. Haalonni dhaqqabiinsa ergaa ugguruu danda’an kanneen akka jiruufi jireenya horsiisee bulaa, godaansa /sochii, hongee, haalli ho’a qilleensaa ilaalcha keessa kan gale miti. Barmaatileefi ilaalchotni hawaasa keessa jiran milkaa’ina komunikeeshinii ittisa HIV/AIDS danqaniiru. Komunikeeshiniin ittisa HIV/AIDS aadaa waliin jireenya Booranaa ilaalcha keessa kan galche miti. Komunikeeshiniin ittisa HIV/AIDS naannoo horsiisee bulaa Booranaa keessatti adeemsifamaa ture olii-gara gadii, ogeessarratti kan rarra’e, amansiisuurratti kan xiyyeeffate, magaalaa giddu-gala kan taasifate, akkasumas jijjiirraa amala nama dhuunfaarratti kan rarra’eedha. Haaluma kanaan, qorannoon kun kominikeeshinii ittisa HIV/AIDS caaya yaad-rimee aadaafi hawaasummaa bu’uureeffate horsiisee bulaa Booranaaf gumaacheera. Imaammanni HIV/AIDS fi sirni fayyaa Itoophiyaa haalota aadaafi hawaasummaa hawaasa dagatamaniif, kanneen akka horsiisee bulaa Booranaaf, xiyyeeffannoo addaa kennuu akka qabu qorannoon kun akeekeera. Kanaaf, komunikeeshiniin ittisa HIV/AIDS naannoo horsiisee bulaa Booranaa haalota aadaafi hawaasummaa, amantaa, koorniyaafi malleen komunikeeshinii naannoo horsiisee bulaan wal simachuu qaba.