Public health and health professionals in the times of HIV/AIDS

This article analyses how HIV/AIDS, particularly in a badly-affected country like South Africa, is challenging traditional understandings of public health and the role of health professionals. The first part focuses on three themes: public health, HIV/AIDS, its disease trajectory, and its impact on health professionals. This section, which prOVides the background and context to the final analysis, is based mainly on secondary sources. The material was collected by means of a documentary analysis as well as a range of exploratory interviews and discussions with health professionals. The final thesis uses a Sociological framework in the analysis of the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on public health and health professionals. We are witnessing a human resources crisis in public health in the midst of a unique epidemic which requires an immediate and urgent response overloading all existing professional health resources. In parallel, the adoption of the Psycho-Social-Environmental Public Health Model and the social nature of the epidemic give rise to ‘laymanisation’ — a development in which functions traditionally performed by health professionals are increasingly being taken over by.lay people. Coupled with the above, a process of realignment of professional boundaries between various health professionals is taking place in a context of limited resources.