HIV and AIDS: Vulnerability of Women in Asia and Africa

DETAILS : 

• Author : Kiran Prasad , Ulimiri V. Somayajulu
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Women Press
  
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 January 2008
  
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
  
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 403 pages
  
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 8189110187
  
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8189110185
  
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 700  g

ABOUT THE BOOK

HIV and AIDS: Vulnerability of Women in Asia and Africa, co-edited by the distinguished social scientists Prof. Kiran Prasad and Dr. Ulimiri V. Somayajulu, is a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary sociological and public health study published in 2008. The volume offers a rigorous comparative analysis of the unique socio-cultural, economic, and political factors that disproportionately expose women in developing Asian and African nations to HIV/AIDS infections.

The core thesis of the book challenges the purely biomedical approach to the HIV pandemic, arguing that the virus spreads along the structural fault lines of gender inequality. The collected research essays delve deeply into how deeply entrenched patriarchal norms, lack of economic autonomy, limited property rights, and restricted access to reproductive healthcare strip women of their ability to negotiate safe sexual practices. By examining diverse case studies from countries across both continents—such as India, Thailand, Nigeria, and South Africa—the text uncovers striking parallels in how poverty, female illiteracy, and migration patterns compound biological vulnerabilities.

Furthermore, the book provides an evaluative critique of existing state policies and non-governmental intervention strategies. It emphasizes that combatting the epidemic effectively requires moving beyond basic awareness campaigns toward holistic empowerment models. The editors advocate for structural legal reforms, targeted micro-finance initiatives, and gender-sensitive healthcare infrastructures, making this volume an essential reference text for development economists, public health policymakers, gender studies scholars, and medical sociologists tracking global health disparities.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Prof. Kiran Prasad is a globally recognized scholar, author, and professor of Communication and Journalism at Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam (Women's University) in Tirupati, India. Her extensive research portfolio focuses on the intersection of mass media, gender relations, development communication, and human rights, with numerous published books exploring women’s empowerment and health communication frameworks in South Asia.

Dr. Ulimiri V. Somayajulu is a highly accomplished social scientist, demographer, and corporate leader in the field of health and development research in India. Serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Sigma Research and Consulting, he has spearheaded hundreds of large-scale evaluate studies, national demographic surveys, and public health assessments for international bodies like the WHO, UNICEF, and the Government of India, making him a definitive authority on healthcare metrics and gender-based vulnerability tracking.