---

PROGRAM 1 : AIDS, health care and migration in rural mossi areas, an anthropological study for the adjustment of the policy of prevention (B. TAVERNE).

---

1.1. Abridged title : AIDS, health care and migration in Rural mossi areas,

1.2.Discipline : ethnology,

1.3. Calender :
- beginning march 1993,
- expected completion time, march 1998,

1.4. Attachment :
Département : Conditions de Vie et Développement,
Unité de recherche : Santé,
Programme SIDA

1.5. Partners
National Committee oF Fight against AIDS in B. Faso (on non contract basis)

2.Presentation
2.1. Reseach Problem :
Problems of this research concern the cultural representations of the HIV infection, the nature of the social practices surrounding this disease as well as the itinerary therapeutic notions and the various medical practices in rural areas. These problems are observed within the mossi ethnic communities, representing the majority of the population of the country. They have a strong ancient tradition concerning migration which is demographically well documented.

2.2.Objectives :
Firstly, It is to draw out an ethnography of young adults (18/20 years) in rural areas. The main objective is to bring into evidence the multiple factors affecting the control of risks of contamination and structuring within or without the individual experiences with regard to this disease:
- design out the state of contemporary representations of HIV infection in rural areas (unknown causes, mode of transmission, preventive practices...)

- identify the values which guide sexuality according to age differences and sex

- identify the sources of information on the disease and the quality of given messages in order to evaluate the possibility of campaigns of sanitary information in rural areas

- describe and analyse the itinerary therapeutic practices established around AIDS patients

- describe and analyse social relationships being structured around HIV infection in rural areas

2.3. Methods and Tools
Ethnographic study in rural areas, the settling of the ethnologist for a long period in the area of study. The relatively long stay in the village (first contact in september 1993) helps to make direct observations which are sometimes participative. The stay also helps to elaborate a precise ethnography of the young villagers. These observations including among others the follow up on AIDS patients represent an indispensable pratical information acquired through interviews. In Ouagadougou contacts are maintained with various associations fighting against AIDS In order to study the contents of messages of information given and the mode of diffusion.


2.4.Geographic zones concerned by the program
Rural mossi regions, Province of Oubritenga, the Department of Ziniare, Canton of Ziga..

2.5.Acquired Results
Following the different information campaigns the sexually transmissible nature of AIDS is confirmed by the whole population. The men consider it as a « disease of women »  a term they use to designate all the different STDS.
Most of the young males, echoing the information received, acknowledge the existence of the disease and the necessity to protect oneself against it. Only a rare few people don't know someone who has died through AIDS. However, as it has been observed elsewhere, the perception and recognition of risks are not sufficient to induce a rigorous control of the risks.

Having access to condoms cannot be considered as a limitation of its use for they can be purchased at the different rural markets. Moreover, the knowledge of them alone and the eventual insufficiencies cannot explain the modalities of the use of condoms. The young people classify these modalities into what they call « Savage Love » and « Civilised Love ». These two categories serve as a reference for the love and sexual behaviors that could, according to them, be established between accepted traditional rural morals on one hand and those copied from urban western models on the other hand;

This dichotomy concerns at the same time the techniques of seduction, the expression of sentiments, sexual practices, the special modes concerning male/female relationship and especially the use of condoms.

Through the process of rejecting the responsibility on others, men acuse women for the spread of AIDS, rural women attack urban area women and in urban areas immigrants and prostitutes are those said to be responsible.

The accusation of women for being responsible for the propagation of AIDS appears to be a new avator of discrimination linked to sex, in which case women are held responsible for the transmission of the various STDS. Popular diverse notions based on the oppositions pure/impure, clean / dirty etc. explains this situation. The messages of information putting stress on preventive methods regarding prostitutes contribute largely to give credit and support to this view point. In rural mossi areas, there is an emergence of a representation of the natural history of AIDS for both men and women. With the latter, AIDS lies in incubation for a long period before showing and are therefore prone to hide their disease and easily contaminate men. It is therefore lawful not to practice levirat in order to protect the family. The result is the exclusion of the woman synonymous of banishment.

In rural areas, the common diagnosis of AIDS is evoked more often after a long and costly therapeutic itinerary, and rarely having recourse to proper health services. The diagnosis is based on the progressive degradation of the physical state of the patient and subjective elements (morality) or objective ones concerning his life history (migration). The evocation of the diagnosis sometimes condems the patient in the sense that no other therapeutic examination would be undertaken by the relatives. An identical attitude is shown at a certain level of the health service.

The study of messages of information given by government authorities and/or governmental or non governmental cooperations reveal profound ambiguities not to say errors attributes to :
1/ Lack of information on the modes of transmission which are epidemiologically important, 2/ the abscence of proper definition as to the groups targeted to be informed 3/ the abscence of reflection on the nature of communication. These different themes constitutes one of the fields of study in progress.

2.6.Key words :
Health, disease, HIV, AIDS, B. Faso, the young migration, traditional medicine, representation of the disease, STD.

3. Publications :

TAVERNE B. 1994 "Ethics and Communication strategy : female circumcision and AIDS in Burkina Faso", Sociétés d'Afrique et Sida, n° 6, pp. 5-6.

TAVERNE B. 1994 compte-rendu de lecture, Populations africaines et sida, J. Valin (dir.), La Découverte/CEPED, Paris, 1994, 223 p in Bulletin de l'AMADES : n° 21, pp. 4-7.

TAVERNE B. 1995 "Communication strategy and target group : AIDS and migrants in Burkina Faso", Sociétés d'Afrique et Sida, n° 10, pp. 2-4.

TAVERNE B. 1995 "Aids and Migrants in Burkina Faso : the illusion of a Targetted Prevention", Médecine d'Afrique Noire, n°43, pp.31-35.

TAVERNE B. 1996 "Communication strategy and the stigmatisation of women : Levirate and AIDS in Burkina Faso", Sciences Sociales et Santé, Vol.14, n°2, pp.87-106.

TAVERNE B. 1996 "General Bibliography on HIV infection and AIDS in Burkina Faso, 1986-1996 - ORSTOM, OUAGADOUGOU, 25 p.

TAVERNE B. 1996 Note de lecture "Attenchon sida !", Cahiers Santé,Vol.6, n°5, pp.328-329.

TAVERNE B. 1996 "Valeur morale et stratégie de prévention : la « fidélité » contre le sida au Burkina Faso" , communication au Colloque International "Sciences Sociales et sida en Afrique : bilan et perspectives", 4 - 8 novembre 1996, Saly Portudal - Sénégal, pp. 527-538.

TAVERNE B. 1997 "Management of HIV-positive and full-blown AIDS patients in the rural environment of Burkina Faso" , Cahiers Santé,Vol.7, n°5, pp.177-186.

DESCONNETS S., TAVERNE B. 1997 Annuaire des Associations et O.N.G. intervenant dans la lutte contre le sida au Burkina Faso, installées à Ouagadougou et Bobo-Dioulasso , 1996 - 1997. ORSTOM,CNLS,CCISD, 72 p.

L'annuaire en intégralité :	* Au format word pour PC
	* Au format word pour MAC

***

---

---