Religion, Magic, Witchcraft, and AIDS in Malawi

Draws on fieldwork conducted in 1991 & 1995 in the Zomba district of Malawi's central region to explore explanations of & responses to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), which became the country's leading cause of adult death in 1992. Analysis finds that AIDS is frequently interpreted in terms of both traditional cosmology & Christianity, but not Islam. Common Christianity-related themes include AIDS as divine punishment for sins (especially adultery), as collective or generational punishment, as an omen of Christ's Second Coming or the Last Days, & as fate. Christian responses to the disease include fatalism & prayer. Some Malawians -- especially Chewa & Yao -- believe that deaths attributed to AIDS are actually caused by witches. Others are dismissive of this idea, perceiving it to be rural superstition. Some beliefs in traditional healing to prevent or cure AIDS are evident, although many healers say they can do nothing about the disease. It is concluded that Malawians generally associate AIDS with fate/divine intervention & thus tend not to focus on prevention through behavioral change. 34 References. E. Blackwell