Case Analysis

Question 1) The main political, social, and economic forces that arose in this situation, and how Dr. Gayle chose to address those forces ?

Dr. Gayle analysis that programs for black men must address the stigma of homosexuality, which prevents many of these men from identifying themselves as gay and bisexual and may keep them from accessing needed prevention and treatment services. One of Dr. Gayle's greatest challenges, then, has been to not only make people aware that populations of color are at the greatest risk, but to tailor and adapt the various strategies and methods for prevention to the persons (e.g., those who don't self-identify as gay) who may be less receptive and accessible to prevention messages relevant to the white gay community, yet are contributing to the rate of HIV/AIDS in communities of color. (Mandell : 63)

Dr. Gayle is an acclaimed pioneer in the creation of community-based prevention activities, especially among minority and underserved communities. She has been particularly successful in getting disparate groups, including minority, gay, and church communities, involved so that they have a better understanding of what the government does related to HIV/AIDS and other STDs. She notes that “many of the issues around AIDS have led to a good deal of mistrust between communities at risk, as well as communities at large, and I have tried to facilitate bringing a broad cross-section of people more into the process and create more open communications among them. The AIDS epidemic has stimulated us to be much more inclusive as public health officials.” (Riccucci: 14-21)

Working to improve access to HIV care for people in poor countries is also important for Dr. Gayle, because currently treatment for HIV is still very limited in poor countries, which bear the greatest burden of HIV/AIDS. (Cantwell: 54)The cost of providing antretroviral drugs for HIV has become a particularly serious problem in developing countries, where even simple medications are out of reach for much of the population. Dr. Gayle points out that the CDC works with over 20 countries worldwide to address the issues of prevention, access, and availability of care. After years of multinational-partnered efforts, in 2001 pharmaceutical companies finally began slashing the cost of AIDS treatment drugs for Africa, which will provide great relief to those infected with the virus. However, even with lower prices, access to relatively complex antiretroviral therapy will still be limited in the short run because of weak health infrastructure.

One of the reasons why Dr. Gayle has been so successful at collaboration—building bridges and fostering communications between the federal government, various communities, and global partners— is her skillful interpersonal relations. As she herself admits, “I very much enjoy working with people. Also, I have tried not to divorce myself from who I am, and the many people and communities that have contributed to my sense of self.

Question 2) How Dr. Gayle utilized each of the three political resources of a public agency administrator in order to tackle the health issues she faced. Use some ...