Tailoring HIV/AIDS Communication to the Cultural Contexts of the Borana Pastoral Community in Ethiopia

The HIV/AIDS health communication approach in sub-Saharan Africa has often overlooked sociocultural specificities. The current approach follows a generalist notion that does not consider the specific contextual domains accordingly. Similarly, the cultural appropriateness of HIV/AIDS health communication among the Borana pastoral community in Ethiopia is not clear. In this study, we aimed to explore whether HIV/AIDS communication among the Borana pastoral community was tailored to the cultural contexts of the community. A qualitative case study was used to unpack the cultural communication contexts for HIV/AIDS. We collected data using three methods, namely, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis of Ethiopia’s HIV/AIDS policy. Health behavioral theories formed the foundation of this study. HIV/AIDS health communication was not properly tailored to the Borana folk culture, symbols, artifacts, and Indigenous institutions; the communication approach was top-down, expert-based, persuasive, urban-centered, and individual-behavioral-change oriented, overlooking deep-rooted sociocultural and environmental contexts. There is, therefore, a need to tailor HIV/AIDS health communication to the cultural contexts of the Borana pastoral community.