AIDS
Susan C MappAbstract
This chapter discusses the global epidemic of AIDS as an example of the impact of the social determinants of health. It explores the impact of social status, such as being female, a member of sexual or gender minority, or being impoverished. It discusses the strides that have been made in combating the disease through shifting from focusing on individual behavior to macro-level interventions that address system-level barriers and to focusing on how they differentially impact people from different social groups—children, girls, women, and men. In addition, advances in medicine and addressing societal stigmas and norms through human rights-based approaches have been very effective. The Country Profile explores the situation in Malawi as an example of the advances that have been made.