Community-Based HIV Prevention and Care in Fishing Populations

Fishing communities around inland waters and coastal areas are recognised as key populations in the global response to HIV, owing to elevated prevalence rates often two to five times higher than national averages. Factors such as mobility of fishers, transactional sex networks, high levels of alcohol use and limited access to health facilities create environments of persistent transmission. Community-based approaches seek to address these structural drivers by deploying locally embedded strategies: peer‐led education, outreach through community health workers, mobile clinics timed to landing schedules, and the integration of harm reduction for alcohol and substance use. Such interventions aim not only to deliver antiretroviral therapy (ART) and pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) but also to build community ownership of HIV prevention, reduce stigma and ensure continuity of care amid frequent migration. Effective programmes combine behavioural, biomedical and structural components to align with the social and economic realities of fishing populations and to bridge gaps between service delivery points and the highly mobile fisherfolk.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A 2023 evaluation of education initiatives in a Ghanaian fishing community assessed the efficacy of town hall meetings, radio broadcasts, film productions and distribution of information, education and communication materials in raising HIV awareness. Despite the diversity of delivery channels, uptake among fishers remained low, largely owing to inconsistent funding and delays in disbursement of government support. The study highlights the necessity for sustained financing mechanisms, community mobilisation structures and governance frameworks that ensure timely implementation of outreach activities. It underscores that well‐designed community durbars and media campaigns can succeed only when underpinned by reliable resource flows and local leadership engagement.

Community-Based HIV Prevention and Care in Fishing Populations publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in community-based hiv prevention and care in fishing populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Antiretroviral therapy (ART): Combination of drugs that suppress HIV replication, improve immune function and prevent onward transmission.

Pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP): Preventive administration of antiretroviral medication by HIV‐negative individuals at substantial risk of infection.

Community health worker (CHW): Locally recruited and trained individual who provides education, support, linkage to care and follow-up within their own community.

Transactional sex: Exchange of sexual acts for money, goods or favours, often driven by economic necessity and observed in many fishing populations.

References

1. Efficacy of HIV and AIDS education programs in the Elmina fishing community in Ghana. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2023).
2. Alcohol consumption and risky sexual behaviors among fishers in Elmina in Ghana. BMC Public Health (2023).
3. HIV prevalence, spatial distribution and risk factors for HIV infection in the Kenyan fishing communities of Lake Victoria. PLOS ONE (2019).