Busting coronavirus myths will take more than science: lessons from an AIDS study

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 07:31:27 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/busting-coronavirus-myths-will-take-more-than-science-lessons-from-an-aids-study-136521>

"Rather than repeating accurate, but ineffective, public health messages
over HIV/AIDS, I worked with peer educators on alternative ways of
shifting attitudes.

We identified HIV/AIDS folk theories circulating in their communities
and ran workshops designed to develop stories, sketches and parables in
local idiom that could counter these in easy to grasp and engaging ways.
For example, to the belief that God could cure AIDS and that
antiretroviral treatment was unnecessary, they developed the story of a
man who encounters a lion and, kneeling to pray, pleads with God to save
him. The lion devours him. The message? He should have run and asked God
to help him run faster. The lesson? Take antiretroviral drugs and pray
that God will keep you healthy."

...

"Front-line health and community workers should be linked to
storytellers, comedians, directors, scriptwriters and others to develop,
in local idiom, easy to understand messages about the virus and
preventative behaviour in entertaining and catchy formats. These should,
indirectly, be aimed at countering the impact of identified folk
theories and promoting behavioural change, not in headlong, hectoring
attacks but using softer power and where possible acting in tactical
unity, as with The Man Who Met A Lion."

Cheers,
        *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net                   Andrew Pam
http://www.xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
http://www.glasswings.com.au/             Partner, Glass Wings
http://www.sericyb.com.au/                Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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