By Kris Herbst
Media attention has been focusing on the hopeful news that the number of AIDS deaths is dropping dramatically for those who can afford potent new drug treatments. As a result, the public – particularly in developed countries – is beginning to perceive AIDS as just another manageable disease rather than an acute health crisis that threatens the stability of entire nations.
In this case, the popular perception couldn't be more wrong. The worldwide epidemic is accelerating, but those battling the epidemic now struggle with donor fatigue and fading public interest. More than ever, entrepreneurial approaches are needed to provide strategies that resonate with local cultures and customs, and respond to local political and economic realities.
This issue of Changemakers Journal profiles three such entrepreneurs, Hana Malinova in the Czech Republic, Jose Marmo da Silva in Brazil and Natee Teerarojjapongs in Thailand. They typify a grassroots approach to the problem that proves worthy of replicating on a large scale.
