Culture refers to the beliefs, values and traditions at the heart of a certain group’s responses, behaviours and practices.  In the context of health and illness, cultural awareness requires all people, including governments, medical professionals, social services and community groups involved in promoting well-being to understand and appreciate how culture affects people’s proclivity and ability to prevent, test, disclose, monitor and adhere to treatment for HIV, viral Hepatitis and TB.

At EATAN we are motivated to empower and support Africans living in Europe to engage in safer practices to avoid contracting communicable conditions, to screen for these conditions, to access monitoring services, to consistently and correctly adhere to their treatment and to disclose their status to sexual or drug injecting partners. 

Africa does not refer to one culture.  Instead, Africa encompasses a population of over 1 billion people; with people of varying ethnicities, including black, Indian and Arab; following a range of religions, such as Christianity, Islam, Baha’i, Hinduism, traditional; speaking hundreds of languages; those who follow monogamy and others polygamy; as well as differing ages, genders and sexualities.  Therefore, Africans who are living in Europe consist of a variety of cultures, beliefs and customs that will affect their responses to health and illness.

In order to support Africans living in Europe to prevent and live well with HIV, viral Hepatitis and TB, EATAN has devised a series of recommendations that can enhance their ability to engage in prevention, screening, monitoring and treatment adherence.