Special Issue Call for Papers: 'AIDS in the time of COVID-19’

The African Journal of AIDS Research (AJAR) is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, social science, research journal established in 2002. The Journal publishes papers to make an original contribution to the understanding of social dimensions of HIV, and as such recognizes the impact of COVID-19 on every aspect of HIV. In support of this, a special issue on COVID-19 and HIV will be published in 2022. 

 

This is based on the belief that COVID-19 will, in the next two years, become a low-level endemic disease, however, the consequences will be felt for decades. “There are many lessons to be gleaned and shared from the HIV response. We need to consolidate the lessons from COVID-19. This is currently a gap and may become a missed opportunity,” said Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Alan Whiteside.

 

“For example, we quickly recognised the response to HIV was politicised, but are slow to see this about COVID-19. HIV developed a coherent mobilisation and consensus globally. Consensus-building is harder in the current polarised world. COVID-19 has been characterised by top-down approaches that communicate poorly and are insensitive to human rights.”

 

The Journal has a record of producing special issues on topical subjects. In 2017 the journal published ‘What the world can learn from Swaziland’ Vol 16 (4), primarily written by Swazi academics and officials, and in 2019 ‘A sustainable AIDS response: results in the era of shrinking donor funding’ Vol 18, (4) in conjunction with the International AIDS Economics Network (IAEN). Examples of other special issues can be accessed here: 

 

The COVID-19 and HIV special issue will contain up to 12 invited and solicited articles and an editorial. Authors are invited to reflect on the HIV pandemic in the COVID-19 context, exploring the parallels, divergences and lessons to be learnt. Co-editors will be Alan Whiteside, Warren Parker, Nertila Tavanxhi and Charles Birungi. The project will be managed by Dr Nina Veenstra. Proposed topics include, but are not limited to: 

 

• The science of COVID-19 and HIV, what each learnt from the other

• Making sense of disease including disease discourse in the COVID-19 context

• Economic consequences for HIV response following COVID-19 

• HIV, COVID-19 and inequality

• HIV and COVID-19: 

- Lessons, innovations, and gaps

- Social and cultural impacts including stigma and discrimination 

- Impacts on vulnerable and key populations

- The politics of disease 

- Ways forward for science 

- Ways forward at societal and community levels

- The role of UNAIDS and other multilateral agencies

• Pandemic preparedness in the context of overlapping epidemics and pandemics

 

Papers will be commissioned in January 2022 and contracts signed. First drafts submitted up to end of March 2022. Peer reviewer feedback within four weeks. Revised manuscripts submitted up to end June 2022. Individual articles will be published online rapidly following acceptance and the completed issue released by 31 July 2022.

 

Please send your proposed title and a 250-300 word abstract to Dr Nina Veenstra at ninaveenstra@yahoo.com before 31 January 2022