Publications
Publications
- October 2020
- HBS Case Collection
When Institutions Fail: HIV/AIDS in the 1980s
By: Tom Nicholas and Christian Godwin
Abstract
During the early 1980s, young gay men in urban centers such as San Francisco and New York City began contracting a mysterious illness that would come to be known as HIV/AIDS. A diagnosis meant almost certain death, with a less than 1% survival rate. Conflicting priorities and agendas within a range of institutions—such as federal and local governments, the medical bureaucracy, incentive structures, and religious convictions—resulted in a failure to mitigate the outbreak. HIV/AIDS infections grew to pandemic proportions leading to one of the largest public health crises in American history.
Keywords
Ethics; Policy; Government and Politics; Health; History; Rights; Media; Organizations; Business and Community Relations; Religion; Social Psychology; Identity; Prejudice and Bias; Social Issues; Public Opinion; Pharmaceutical Industry; Biotechnology Industry; Health Industry; Journalism and News Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Public Administration Industry; United States
Citation
Nicholas, Tom, and Christian Godwin. "When Institutions Fail: HIV/AIDS in the 1980s." Harvard Business School Case 821-002, October 2020.
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