Abstract:
Stigma is one of the documented barriers to achieving universal access to human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) prevention, treatment, care, and support programs.
The lack of African social theories to emphasize these issues may be the cause of the continent’s
failure to reduce stigma. We can use Ubuntu, an African philosophy that emphasizes sociability and
ethics, to deepen our understanding of how to reduce HIV- and TB-related stigma in South Africa.
In many African regions, Ubuntu values and principles were found to assist in reducing problems
related to HIV. Ubuntu is a comprehensive phrase used by Africans to signify the characteristics that
incorporate the core human virtues of compassion and humanity. We explored the perceptions of
nursing students regarding the use of Ubuntu in the fight against HIV and TB stigma. Qualitative
participatory research was used to engage all first- and second-level nursing students enrolled for the
2023 academic year at the selected university in South Africa. Purposive sampling was used to recruit
the participants. An interactive workshop was used to gather data. The data from the recordings and
flip charts were analysed together. Throughout the study, trustworthiness and ethical principles were
upheld. Two primary themes emerged as expressions of Ubuntu in relation to a reduction in HIV and
TB stigma and recognition of Ubuntu as a tool to combat stigma associated with HIV and TB. This
confirms that within Ubuntu, there are elements that might be applied to reduce stigma attached to
HIV and TB.
