Sante, Societe Et Politiqueen Afrique

Africa is going through an alarming health crisis with multiple pathologies, particularly HIV/AIDS which hinders the human and socio-economic development of the continent. The decrepit state of health systems in Africa has been greatly compounded by ill-suited macro-economic programmes, hence exacerbating the flight of human capital. There is also a crisis in the theories, models and the construction of responses to this situation. These have been influenced, since colonial times, by hegemonic concepts and principles dictated from the West which fail to take into account the cultural, social and political aspects of diseases in local societies and communities. A re-conceptualisation of the health question and approaches based on the questioning of dominant paradigms are therefore needed to confront the on-going health crisis and put Africa on track for development.

Cheikh Ibrahima Niang teaches at the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, Senegal. As a specialist on Social Anthropology and Environment Sciences, he has worked extensively on social aspects of HIV/AIDS and public health issues in Senegal, Cte d'Ivoire, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, the Gambia and Guinea. He has published on sexuality, the HIV/AIDS social and political impacts, and cultural approaches to epidemic prevention. Niang has served as technical advisor to several United Nations bodies, including ONUSIDA, OMS, World Bank, PNUD, BIT, etc. He is the coordinator of Network SAHARA (Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research Alliance) for West Africa.