Addiction & Health

Addiction & Health

A Narrative Synthesis of a Local HIV Outbreak in a Developing Country: A Qualitative Content Analysis Using Online News Media

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Vahid yazdi Feyzabadi 1
Noora Rafiee 2
Hamid Sharifi 3, 4
Hossein Molavi Vardanjani 5
Zahra Zare 6
1 Health Services Management Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
2 Research Center for Social Determinants of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
3 HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
4 Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
5 MD-MPH Program, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
6 Department of Health Care Management, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
10.22122/ahj.2026.202483.1807
Abstract
Introduction: The media plays a crucial role in communicating health information, shaping public perceptions, and framing issues, especially regarding infectious disease transmission. In 2019, an outbreak of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) occurred in a village in Iran. This study analyzes media content to identify contextual challenges and actions taken by stakeholders in response to the outbreak.
Methods: A descriptive qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach was conducted to examine online news coverage of this HIV outbreak. National and foreign online news sources were searched using Persian keywords, including “specific name of the area,” “specific name of respective county and province,” “HIV outbreak,” “HIV epidemic,” and “AIDS” between October 2019 and August 2020. Conventional and summative content analysis were performed using MAXQDA version 10.
Results: Six sub-categories emerged from the three categories: health-oriented challenges, poor governance, and political consequences. News media content highlighted significant health challenges. Five specific categories of actions were identified: HIV care, prevention and treatment services, social support, monitoring and evaluation, information management, and legal actions. The majority of the focus was on HIV care, with the Ministry of Health (MoH) as the most prominent stakeholder.
Conclusion: The media largely emphasized health challenges during the HIV outbreak, with HIV care receiving the greatest attention. Policymakers are advised to establish specialized teams to address medical, social, cultural, and political aspects of HIV outbreaks comprehensively. Local media should be effectively utilized to disseminate information and promote public education, strengthening disease control efforts and supporting the response to HIV.

Highlights

Zahra Zare(GoogleScholar)(Pubmed)

Keywords
HIV
Online news media
Disease outbreaks
Communicable disease
Iran
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Addiction & Health

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 03 October 2026