Organizer: John Knodel
The goal this network was to bring together researchers who study the consequences for and contributions of older persons in Africa and Asia in relation to the AIDS epidemic in order to promote collaboration and comparative analyses. The main anticipated mechanisms to accomplish the network’s goals were small-scale meetings and/or workshops. The network was one of several external networks under the Michigan Center for the Demography of Aging (MiCDA).
The network was aimed at researchers who would benefit from sharing their experiences and who had or will have had data sets referring to African or Asian settings that can serve as the basis for interesting comparative analyses. The main focus was research on older persons who are affected by others, especially family members, who are currently living with or who have died of HIV/AIDS. One issue of particular interest was how the growing availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is affecting the consequences for and the role of older family members of ART patients. Although not the major focus, studies related to older persons who are infected themselves or who are at risk of infection were also relevant to the network.
Membership was by invitation. The network welcomed researchers from a variety of disciplines using diverse methodologies including approaches that deal with both quantitative and qualitative data. Active researchers working on issues related to AIDS and older persons in African or Asian settings were encouraged to contact the organizer.