In this thesis, I argue for a move from the preoccupation with the obvious (crude and quantifiable impacts), towards critically examining the subtle (less than obvious impacts), which will allow us to deal with adversities (the likes of HIV and AIDS) in the most effective ways. The thesis adopts the summative governance framework to demonstrate how our preoccupation with the quantifiable impacts shrouds our intellectual and practical ability to deal with the subtle impacts of AIDS. Governance is hypothesised to emerge amidst turbulent, unpredictable, messy, complex and dynamic path conditions predicated upon certain orders of criticality, including but not limited to the process of knowledge formation, retention and transfer. The thesis suggests that the evolution of governance from nascent to fully institutionalised mechanisms of control is in itself a product of the evolution of knowledge. Notwithstanding, HIV and AIDS constrain the emergence of governance through impacting the process of knowledge formation, retention and transfer. Resultantly, these impacts are not merely additive and isolated to the sectoral governances, but are summative, intergenerational and structured, and potentially endanger the fundamental systems of governance. The pre and post independence induced vulnerabilities of Namibia are presented to demonstrate that the country is an engrossing, but yet a perilous mix of the past and the present. Whilst Namibia aspires for a democratic, non-racial, progressive society, the thesis demonstrates that due to constraints engendered by HIV and AIDS this proceeds on terms and conditions that by no means guarantee a happy outcome.

In this thesis, I argue for a move from the preoccupation with the obvious (crude and quantifiable impacts), towards critically examining the subtle (less than obvious impacts), which will allow us to deal with adversities (the likes of HIV and AIDS) in the most effective ways. The thesis adopts the summative governance framework to demonstrate how our preoccupation with the quantifiable impacts shrouds our intellectual and practical ability to deal with the subtle impacts of AIDS. Governance is hypothesised to emerge amidst turbulent, unpredictable, messy, complex and dynamic path conditions predicated upon certain orders of criticality, including but not limited to the process of knowledge formation, retention and transfer. The thesis suggests that the evolution of governance from nascent to fully institutionalised mechanisms of control is in itself a product of the evolution of knowledge. Notwithstanding, HIV and AIDS constrain the emergence of governance through impacting the process of knowledge formation, retention and transfer. Resultantly, these impacts are not merely additive and isolated to the sectoral governances, but are summative, intergenerational and structured, and potentially endanger the fundamental systems of governance. The pre and post independence induced vulnerabilities of Namibia are presented to demonstrate that the country is an engrossing, but yet a perilous mix of the past and the present. Whilst Namibia aspires for a democratic, non-racial, progressive society, the thesis demonstrates that due to constraints engendered by HIV and AIDS this proceeds on terms and conditions that by no means guarantee a happy outcome.

HIV is a virus that leads to AIDS. Millions of people are living with HIV. Globally, there is an increased incidence of this disease among adolescents. In literature, there is a gap regarding how social determinants of health have jointly or singly contributed to HIV/AIDS transmission. With the application of the AIDS risk reduction model (ARRM) to the secondary analysis of survey data, the purpose of this study was to determine whether any significant relationships existed between adolescents' childhood health care factors, demographic factors, social-level factors, structural-level factors, aspects of disease management factors, and knowledge about HIV transmission/AIDS among Nigerian adolescents. Survey data were used from Measure Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) in Nigeria for 2008. Multiple linear regression revealed that childhood vaccinations were a weak predictor for HIV transmission risk (R2 - 0.020). Gender, age, place of residence, education, religion and culture, some disease management aspects (e.g., accessibility and affordability of care), and wealth index were all significant but weak predictors of knowledge of HIV/AIDS (R2 = 0.016, R2 = 0.019, R2 = 0.003 & R2 0.015). The potential positive social change effect of the study would be HIV transmission reduction through increasing knowledge of HIV/AIDS among adolescents in Nigeria. The results could be used by both governmental and nongovernmental organizations to influence childhood healthcare improvements and advance education to help reduce or eradicate the causes of HIV/ AIDS transmission among adolescents in Nigeria.

This research captures a detailed exposition of an investigation into knowledge sharing in HIV/AIDS non-government organisations in South Africa. HIV/AIDS is a global challenge and one of the most severe problems facing our world today. South Africa is home to the largest population of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. Knowledge management, and more specifically knowledge sharing, has been identified as a key area of focus that could be deployed to solve this problem. Despite the large number of NGOs that address HIV/AIDS in South Africa, very little research has focused on understanding this group of organisations. As such, this qualitative research contributed to the literature by examining the context in which South African NGOs work and develop an argument about the factors that influences knowledge sharing in HIV/AIDS NGOs in South Africa. A literature review provides an overview of the main contexts in which knowledge sharing has arisen. The literature shows that despite its importance for HIV/AIDS NGOs in South Africa, there is no framework which addresses intra-organisational knowledge in this context. It is an area that has received very little research attention, yet is of increasing importance in the light of the HIV/AIDS crisis in South Africa. This motivated the researcher to formalise, refine and validate a framework to address this issue. The research has resulted in a number of contributions to knowledge and benefits for the NGO involved. A key contribution is the development of a knowledge sharing framework that has been evaluated by HIV/AIDS NGO practitioners and internationally recognised knowledge management experts that can be used to support intra-organisational knowledge sharing in HIV/AIDS NGOs in South Africa. This framework consists of the identification of knowledge sharing component drivers required for effective knowledge sharing with the HIV/AIDS NGO and a method for implementation based on a knowledge sharing process. The research has also identified areas where there is a significant scope for further research and investigation.

Abstract The purpose of this study is to describe and to compare the university students’ attitudes (knowledge, feelings and behaviour) towards HIV/AIDS (Human Immune Deficiency Virus/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) in Finland and in Kenya and to find explanatory factors associated with the sexual risk behaviour. For educators, managers and experts in health care and education the results will provide an opportunity to deepen their knowledge and awareness of students’ sexual behaviour. These results may also be used for planning an educational programme for youngsters and young adults in order to promote healthy sexual behaviour. This study is focused on the viewpoint of preventive health care and sexual health promotion. The study is a comparative research with quantitative and qualitative methods. The study group consists of 525 first year students (411 Finnish and 114 Kenyan students) of Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Oulu University and the University of Helsinki in Finland and of MOI University in Kenya. The response rate was 87.5%. The results concerning the attitudes towards HIV/AIDS of the students showed that the Finnish and Kenyan students had a good level of knowledge concerning HIV and AIDS. Most of the information had been obtained from TV, campaigns, newspapers, and information packages. The role of the health care professionals was very small in both countries. The most negative attitudes were found towards homosexuality (25.8% of the respondents) and intravenous drugs users (59.5%). The result showed that the level of knowledge did not have an effect on the level of their beliefs and prejudices of the students. It was common for the respondents to be single during their first study year. No influence was found between the students’ knowledge and the number of their sex partners or the frequency of the sexual activity. Almost the same number of students who reported using prevention always or almost always identified both HIV correctly (43.4%) and incorrectly (45.7%). The situation concerning AIDS was similar. The age and the importance of religion of the students had influence on the use of prevention. / Tiivistelmä Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on kuvata ja verrata kenialaisten ja suomalaisten korkeakouluopiskelijoiden asenteita (tietoja, tunteita ja käyttäytymistä) HIV/AIDSia (Immuunikatovirus/ Hankittu immuunipuutos-oireyhtymä) kohtaan ja löytää seksuaalista riskikäyttäytymistä selittäviä tekijöitä. Terveydenhuollon ja terveysalan hallinnon ja koulutuksen asiantuntijoille tutkimustulokset antavat mahdollisuuden tutustua ja syventää HIV/AIDSia koskevaa tietouttaan ja tietoisuuttaan. Tuloksia voidaan hyödyntää ennaltaehkäisevän terveydenhuollon suunnittelussa ja koulutuksessa edistämään nuorten ja nuorten aikuisten terveellistä seksikäyttäytymistä. Tutkimuksen lähtökohta on ennaltaehkäisevä toiminta ja erityisesti seksuaaliterveyden edistäminen. Tutkimus on vertaileva tutkimus. Aineisto kerättiin strukturoituja ja avoimia kysymyksiä sisältävällä kyselylomakkeella. Tutkimukseen vastasi yhteensä 525 ensimmäisen lukuvuoden korkeakouluopiskelijaa, 411 suomalaista ja 114 kenialaista opiskelijaa. Vastausprosentti oli 87,5 %. Tulokset osoittivat sekä kenialaisilla että suomalaisilla korkeakouluopiskelijoilla olevan hyvät tiedot HIV/AIDSista. Tärkeimpiä opiskelijoiden nimeämiä tietolähteitä olivat TV, kampanjat, sanomalehdet ja informaatiopaketit. Perheen ja terveydenhuoltohenkilöstön rooli tiedon lähteenä oli vähäinen molemmissa maissa. Negatiivisimmat asenteet kohdistuivat homoseksuaalisuutta ja laskimon sisäisiä huumeiden käyttäjiä kohtaan. Kenialaisten opiskelijoiden ennakkoasenteet HIV/AIDSia kohtaan olivat muita opiskelijoita voimakkaammat ja negatiivisemmat. Tulokset osoittivat, että tiedon laadulla ei ollut merkitystä opiskelijoiden ennakkoasenteisiin. Tulokset osoittivat myös, että ensimmäisen vuoden korkeakouluopiskelijoilla ei ole paljon seksisuhteita. Opiskelijoiden HIV/AIDS-tiedoilla ei ollut yhteyttä seksipartnereiden määrään tai seksuaaliseen aktiivisuuteen. Oikealla tai väärällä HIV/AIDS-tiedolla ei ollut vaikutusta ehkäisyn käyttöön. Lähes sama määrä opiskelijoita, jotka kertoivat käyttävänsä ehkäisyä aina tai lähes aina, määritteli HIVin oikein ja väärin. Tilanne oli samanlainen koskien AIDSia. Oikealla tai väärällä HIV/AIDSia koskevalla tiedolla ei ollut myöskään vaikutusta ennakkoasenteiden voimakkuuteen. Tutkimustulosten perusteella HIV/AIDSin ennaltaehkäisyssä ei pelkkä HIV/AIDS tietotason kohottaminen riitä, vaan on syytä käyttää uusia ja monipuolisia lähestymistapoja.

Magister Artium - MA / Despite wide acceptance of Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) as a crucial entry point for the prevention, treatment, care and support of HIV-infected persons; the prevalence of testing in Ethiopia remains very low. A review of the literature identifies the set of factors that influence HIV testing of individuals to include socio-economic and demographic factors, knowledge of HIV/AIDS, risk perception, fear of stigma, social capital and the perceived benefit of VCT. By drawing assumptions based on the known literature, this mini-thesis explores the relationship between VCT usage and the above factors in order to explain the status of HIV testing in Moher and Aklil district, Gurage Zone, Ethiopia. The study hopes to address the dearth of material on VCT and contribute to it in a non-clinical and rural context.