HIV prevention and public morality in Pakistan: The secular normativity of development

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Religious leaders, development experts and state officials in Pakistan were brought together on shared platforms to negotiate a morally–appropriate but scientifically informed response to HIV. Instead of dialogue and negotiation in line with the secular ideal of development, the moral authority of the religious figure compelled others to forefront the conservative in them, thereby undermining the goal of HIV prevention in the country. The everyday practices of state officials and health experts were already infused with Islamic public morality but the inclusion of religious leaders resulted in acceptance of their conservative position on HIV, gender and sexuality. Through the case study of an Inter-Religious Council on HIV, I argue that intervention strategies which specifically involve religious leaders end up enabling systematic marginalization of those who are already at a greater risk of HIV.
Original languageEnglish
JournalAnthropology and Medicine
Early online date2 Nov 2023
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 2 Nov 2023

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • health
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Pakistan
  • public morality
  • religious leaders
  • stigma

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