Anca Giurgiulescu Humanities and Social Science
Understanding Senegal's Successful Response to the AIDS Epidemic: A Detailed Look at the History of a Proactive Goverment
Within the AIDS public health crisis currently affecting the African continent, Senegal stands apart from its African counterparts throught its succcess in controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This relative success is attributed to the early and timely government response, as well as to the joint efforts of multiple actors of the Senegales society including community religious leaders. But what were the already existent political bases and networks that facilitated the implementation of a national response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic? This summer, I will work from Dakar with local and international actors such as public health officials, community leaders, and NGO partners and I will consult local government archives in order to investigate the social, political, and cultural mechanisms present in the country during the mid 1980s when the first AIDS cases were reported.
Message To Sponsor
Since I have known that I wanted to focus on French-speaking Africa as a geographic region to study during my college years, I have been trying to find a way to reach regions of which I have only read about so far. I am deligthed that UCB has incredible research opportunities for its studetns, and I am extremely excited to have received the SURF award to fund my intentions of meeting cultures that I have been studying for over three years. I am confident of the knowledge and intellectual stimulation I have accumulated in my Berkeley classes, and I look forward to taking my thirst for learning to the new level of outside-the-classroom exploration and local context application.