Title:HIV/AIDS Securitization: Outcomes and Current Challenges
VOLUME: 15 ISSUE: 2
Author(s):Aladdin H. Shadyab*, Braden R. Hale and Richard A. Shaffer
Affiliation:Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program, Naval Health Research Center, 140 Sylvester Road, San Diego, CA 92106, Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program, Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, CA, Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program, Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, CA
Keywords:AIDS, HIV, international, military, national, peacekeeping, security.
Abstract:Background: The securitization (i.e., framing of a health issue as a security threat) of
HIV/AIDS by the United Nations Security Council in 2000 changed the belief that HIV/AIDS is
only a health issue. Although now accepted that HIV/AIDS represents a security threat, the consequences
of securitization are still not widely established.
Methods: The purpose of this paper was to present an evidence-based review of the outcomes and
current challenges associated with HIV/AIDS securitization in the context of national security.
Results/Conclusion: We provided an overview of HIV/AIDS securitization, followed by a discussion
of the impact of securitization on peacekeeping personnel and uniformed services. We also reviewed
the United States Government’s response to securitization and potential risks and benefits of
securitization.
