New Narratives for Africa: Using Stories to Fight HIV/AIDS

Abstract

An endangered society is one whose members can no longer change the stories they tell themselves. The dangerous story line for many in sub-Saharan Africa is dominated by AIDS. Although many organizations are now arrayed to fight this scourge, the success or failure of global efforts to combat HIV/AIDS depends ultimately on people's willingness and ability to behave in certain new ways—to, in effect, change their stories. This paper describes some of the unique features of a narrative intervention strategy called MARCH: Modeling and Reinforcement to Combat HIV/AIDS. In support of the U.S. government's goal to help prevent and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS globally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is collaborating with local partners on the design, implementation, and evaluation of MARCH projects in several African countries.