Controlling the HIV Pandemic: A Public Health Focus

This is an exercise in which students are asked to participate in scientific inquiry to examine source data from the World Health Organization and analyze the HIV pandemic. After viewing the "Controlling the HIV Pandemic" video on the Koshland Science Museum's website, students are divided into groups, and each group is assigned a country to analyze its source data from the WHO on the HIV pandemic. Source data is available for Armenia, Botswana, Cambodia, Costa Rica, China, India, Indonesia, or Kenya. Students calculate different epidemiological statistics that they will use to compare the state of the epidemic in these nations. They also use the data to plot graphs and will examine research on steps that have been taken to control the disease. The activity ends with students participating in a comparative analysis of the data as they share their results with other groups in the class. Data from the United States also can be used as a reference point to make connections among these countries. Ultimately, students will develop a broad understanding of how infectious diseases can be controlled in different regions of the world given certain socio-political and economic realities, while building connections with the science behind the headlines. This activity is designed by the Koshland Science Museum to accompany the HIV videos.

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