Bridging the Gap: Conference Record [Abstract book, International Conference on AIDS (12th: 1998: Geneva, Switzerland)]

12th World AIDS Conference

Abstracts 13581-13585 201

Project: Different training programmes, ranging from talks, seminars, workshops and visits to AIDS service organizations were provided to social welfare
personnel. Particular emphasis was placed on home helpers and residential workers as they reflected the greatest resistance in working with PWA/HIV; and yet,
they are the immediate service providers PWA/HIV would come into contact when
moving from institutional care to community care. Through training programmes,
service providers were able to take a closer and unstigmatized look at AIDS, and
how they can re-position themselves to help service recipients face the epidemic.
To monitor the progress, a follow-up study on change of knowledge and attitudes
of social welfare personnel towards HIV/AIDS was conducted in 1997.
Result: The 1997 study demonstrated significant improvement in knowledge
and attitude towards HIV/AIDS and related issues among social welfare personnel, especially those who have received training programmes on AIDS. Even a
more encouraging phenomenon was that some social welfare agencies took the
initiative to come together to work out cooperative guidelines for the purpose of
rendering more effective service to PWA/HIV and their family members.
Lessons Learned: Community service, and above all, acceptance and support
of service providers, is vital in helping PWA/HIV to move from institutional care to
community re-integration, and training programmes is a crucial facilitator in this
process. 1998 is the year we started extending our training programme to include
social welfare personnel from different fields of service. To share our experience,
and to learn from different communities for services improvement is what we
wanted to achieve through presentation at the Conference.
13581 "Me and my team"-relationships, sexuality and STD
discussions in a sport club
Eivor Johansson. Dept. of Comm. Medicin and Public Health Box 1613 70116
Orebro, Sweden
Issue: Young people are the most important group for information about STDs.
School education has a long tradition in Sweden and is always given from a
relation/sexuality perspective. Outside school, sport activities are important to
youngsters and a special relation is often established between the leader of a
team and its members. Can this relation be used for discussions about relationship, sexuality and STDs?
Project: A collaboration project between The Department of Community
Medicine and Public Heath and the Football Federation, Orebro was designed. It
contained the following activities:
(a) Producing a video film (20 minutes) with some scenes from a football club
made by a young film team with young non professional actors -combined with a
study book with 20 questions for discussions.
(b) Education about facts and methods for STD/HIV information for a team
consisting of 4 young men and 2 women as discussion leaders (medium age 23)
(c) Video and discussions based on the study book in the football clubs led by 1
or 2 persons from the team. 15-20 boys/girls and their leaders were participating
each time. Attitudes and relationships between boys/girls, between the leaders
and the youngsters and towards immigrants were discussed together with some
questions about sexual knowledge and facts about STDs. (d) Evaluation by a
telephone interview with the leaders based on a questionnaire 3 month later
Results: 152 football teams in Orebro county council were invited and 102
joined the project. 29 did not have any activities for youngsters and 21 did not
respond for various reasons, often lack of disposable time. About 1.100 boys and
girls attended, most of them between 14-16 years old. The evaluation showed
positive effects such as a more open atmosphere, more ethical and moral discussions including attitudes to sex and better understanding of the role as individual
and as a member of a team. Leader for other sports such as ice hockey have
shown interest for using the same model in their clubs.
Lesson Learned: Some hesitation was noticed among the leaders towards
these sensitive topics. Support from an external discussion leader and matherial
is therefore crucial in order to encourage further activities. The method is useful in
team sports with establiced groups. The interest for relation issues and sexuality
is high among teenagers a fact that makes the discussions easier. The role as a
sports leader is well connected with these topics and they are a suitable group of
adults in a prevention program towards STDs among young people.
241*/13582 1 HIV prevention in complex emergency countries
Idrissa Sow, K. Shibib, E. Kita. Field Support and Logisitics, Division of
Emergency and Humanitarian Action World Health Organization, 20 Avenue
Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland
Background: In the countries in war and/or civil strife, the activities of HIV/AIDS
prevention are disrupted due to collapse of the overall systems including health.
The conditions of poverty, powerlessness and social instability increase the vulnerability to HIV infection mainly for women and girls that are subject to violence
including rape. The new environment is inducive to a higher risk behaviour such
as prostitution for survival, early sexually active children, transmission through
blood transfusion is higher due to injuries and anaemia resulting from malnutrition
and infectious diseases. Over the recent decades the world has experienced a

great number of man-made complex emergencies particularly in Africa (Rwanda,
Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Liberia and Sierra Leone)
where the prevalence is known to be high. The humanitarian response to these
complex emergencies included activities related to HIV prevention.
Objectives: i) To draw lessons on HIV/AIDS prevention in countries in complex
emergencies ii) To recommend strategies to improve HIV/AIDS prevention in
complex emergency situations.

Method: The Field Support Unit (FSL) of the WHO Division of Emergency
and Humanitarian Action collected quantitative information on the response to
HIV/AIDS in countries in complex emergencies. HIV/AIDS activities were reviewed throughout the different stages of the emergency. The response of donors
to the HIV/AIDS needs in countries in complex emergency analysed. Preliminary
data are available from a number of countries.
The resulting information will help in drawing lessons and in recommending
strategies to improve HIV/AIDS prevention in complex emergency situations.
135831 Educational quality standards for 14 professions dealing
with HIV/AIDS
Marie-Claude Hofner1, F. Cathieni2, C. Mannella3, J. Wohnhas4. 1OFSP-AIDS
Unit, 3003 Bern; 20FSP Lugano; 30FSP, Lausanne; 40FSFP Zurich, Switzerland
Objective: to improve and ensure quality (and equality) of prevention, care and
treatment, by integrating standards of good practice on HIV/AIDS related skills,
into the curricula of the professions most concerned.
Design: "Delphi" consensus conference.
Methods: selection of 14 professions by 4 criteria: frequency, importance, seriousness and urgency of contact with HIV. Constitution of an expert panel (n = 75)
of trainers, educators and field workers (min 4 max 7 experts for each profession)
with recognised experience in HIV/AIDS and proficiency in training. Three phase
consultation: 1) open questionnaire, 2) closed questionnaire, 3) national meeting
for final validation and implementation.
Results: a booklet containing essentials skills, knowledge and specific pedagogical methods (available in German, French and Italian) was produced for:
medical doctors; nursing assistants; teachers; pharmacists; lawyers; psychologists; dentists; clergy; police; nurses; army medics; midwives; social workers;
educators; prison personnel.
The booklet also identifies the basic skills identical to all professions and
considered to be minimal for ensuring functional co-operation between different
profession.
Conclusions: This program permitted the professionals to elaborate standards
themselves instead of having standards imposed by administrators. The process
was seen as being an enormous help in integrating the standards into curricula. It
also contributed to the development of interdisciplinary research and education,
and permitted participants to observe the commonalties and specificities amongst
professions, disciplines and levels of intervention.
S13584 | Women, violence and HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe
Charlotte Watts1, Rudo Kwaramba2, M. Nalovu2, P.G. Keogh3. 1LSHTM Health
Policy Unit, Keppel Street London,, England; 2MUSASA Project
Harare;3 University of Zimbabwe Harare, Zimbabwe
Violence against women (VAW) is a world-wide problem, with its roots in the
power-inequalities between men and women. In Zimbabwe, the Musasa Project
provides services for men and women experiencing abuse, works to challenge the
acceptability of violence against women, and to reform the institutions that help
support its perpetuation. In 1996 Musasa interviewed a representative random
sample of 996 women about their experiences of physical, sexual, psychological
and economically disempowering forms of abuse.
32% of women reported experiencing physical abuse since the age of 16;
25% reported being kicked bitten, slapped or hit; 19% had been threatened with
physical violence; 37% reported some form of sexual harassment or abuse. Most
often the perpetrator was the women's current or former partner. 25% of married
women reporting being forced to have sex when they did not want to; 18% of
women's partners had boasted about or brought home girlfriends. Many reporting
experiencing sexual, physical or psychological abuse.
Physical and sexual violence is a common reality for many women, including
adolescents, women in long term relationships, and HIV+ women. Both violence
and HIV thrive where women have low status and are marginalised. VAW is
often seen as being peripheral to STD and HIV infection. The many intersections
need to be explicitly addressed in HIV/AIDS prevention and counselling activities.
Collaborative [action with women's NGOs working to address VAW are needed
to ensure the development of appropriate sensitization, prevention and support
activities.
A13585 African-American churches as HIV/AIDS prevention sites
Joanne Robertson. 2128 11th Avenue North Nashville Tennessee 37208, USA
Issue: There is a need to provide an increased number of sites for HIV/AIDS
education to African Americans as transmission rates for this population are
disproportionate and increasing.
Project: It has been observed that African American churches are increasingly
becoming sites for health promotion and education. This is attributed to the Black
Church's historical role as the cornerstone institution of African American communities. The Wellness Center's Lighthouse program was developed to create

HIV/AIDS education and referral centers in 25 predominately African American
churches in Nashville. Each satellite program has a minimum of three persons
who have been trained to provide basic knowledge about HIV/AIDS in ninetyminute multimedia presentations and individual counseling sessions. They also
will have the ability to refer persons to the appropriate AIDS service organizations.
Results: The Wellness Center Lighthouse Program has officially been adopted
by a local interdenominational alliance of ministers and pastors. This alliance