– Professor Prem Misir International Book Tour 2014
Professor Prem Misir is embarking on an international book tour in March and April, 2014.Professor Misir will commence his international book tour in Canada where he will make two presentations at the Guyana Consulate in Toronto on Monday March 24, 2014 at 6 p.m. and York University on Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at 2:30 p.m. Professor David Murray will chair the York University session.

Misir will then proceed to the USA where presentations will be made at the Guyana Consulate in New York on Thursday, March 27, 2014 at 6 p.m. and at York College/City University of New York on Friday, March 28, 2014 at 5 p.m. Professor Aubrey Bonnett, Department of American Studies at State University of New York, College at Old Westbury will chair the event while Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs of York College/City University of New York Dr. Panayiotis Meleties will present the welcoming remarks.

Professor Misir’s international book tour will conclude in England where he will also make two presentations, first, at the London South Bank University (LSBU) on Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 5 p.m. where LSBU’s Vice-Chancellor Professor David Phoenix is expected to do the welcoming remarks; and second, at the Guyana High Commission in London on Thursday, April 10, 1014 at 6:30 p.m.

Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Professor Clem Sankat has also indicated his interest in hosting a book presentation by Professor Misir in April, 2014.

The official launch of this book took place at the New Building Society (NBS), Georgetown on Thursday, November 28, 2013. Misir also made four presentations around Guyana, at the State House at New Amsterdam, Berbice, the New Amsterdam Hospital, New Amsterdam, Berbice, the Texila American University (TAU), Sparendaam, East Coast of Demerara and at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

The book ‘HIV & AIDS Knowledge and Stigma in Guyana’ is based on a cross-sectional study that used a purposive sample of 379 high school students from fifteen urban and rural high schools in Guyana and assessed their HIV and AIDS knowledge and stigma-related attitudes, and the relationships among gender, age, religion, and race/ethnicity and HIV and AIDS knowledge. Most of the high school students displayed an overall moderate level of HIV and AIDS knowledge. The students understood the modes of HIV transmission; they recognised the symptoms of HIV and AIDS; nearly half of them believed that a blood donor was at risk of contracting HIV; and about one-fifth of the students embraced myths and misconceptions surrounding HIV and AIDS.

There was no statistically significant difference in the knowledge scores of male and female students. Knowledge scores, nevertheless, differed significantly between the 13 to 15 and 16 to 18 age groups, and among the religious and ethnic groups. Stigma-related attitude scores were not statistically significant for gender and age, but differed significantly for religion and ethnicity among students. The study showed fissures in HIV/AIDS knowledge and substantial stigma-related attitudes. Limited understanding of the myths and misconceptions of HIV and AIDS demands a new focus on how HIV is not transmitted through moving beyond conventional strategies toward a social constructivist approach.

This book is essential reading for medical professionals, policymakers and educators throughout the Caribbean region.

Prem Misir is Pro-Chancellor, University of Guyana. His many publications include Cultural Identity and Creolization in National Unity: The Multiethnic Caribbean and Leader Behavior and the Compliance Structure in Education: A Sociological Study of Ideology and Social Change in Guyana.

Contact: Professor Prem Misir
Address: 1-2 Pere Street, Subryanville, Georgetown
Phone: 223-3243
Email: premmisir@gmail.com