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

12th World AIDS Conference

Abstracts 33361-33366 663

33361 Outreach counselling by pre-adolescents
Jean-Jacques Thorens. Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, 3003 Bern,
Switzerland
Objectives: Improve understanding of pre-adolescent youths who are at odds
with their environment (family, school, drugs). Adapt the AIDS-prevention messages so that they get better acceptance and are more effectively received.
Define a profile type in view of adapting interventions to their reality.
Design: Controlled study
Methods: Itinerant presence at the places in the city of Lausanne frequented
by the pre-adolescents on the margin of society or on their way of being pushed
to the fringe (sleep-ins, amusements-halls, hostels etc.). Employment of two
professionals (a family planning councillor and a street-worker). Work through
peers in order to have an improved access to the subculture and an optimal
effect (relaying information, spotting delicate situations). Simultaneously providing counselling and information related to sexuality, prevention and contraception
(prostitution, violence, sexual abuse etc.) as well as psycho-social assistance.
Results: The study brings out: The kind of services provided/the needs
to meet/the strategy to adopt/the recommendations to the professional
helpers/guidelines for field interventions/the profile type of the pre-adolescents
close to risk.
Conclusions: The study is being realised at present and will be going on till
1999.
33362 HOPE worldwide world AIDS day campaign educates
1,200,000 Africans
Mark Ottenweller. 220 Cornelis St. Fairland, Johannesburg, RSA
Issue: Large scale community mobilisation is essential to awareness in developing countries.
Project: HOPE worldwide and its 8,300 volunteers from the International
Church of Christ mobilised various community groups in 17 sites in 12 African
countries. These volunteers mobilised community resources such as brochures,
posters, T-shirts, refreshments, and logistical support from churches, schools,
corporations, and government agencies all over Africa. For example, in Durban,
South Africa, 70 volunteers mobilised 700 workers to educate 70,000 people on
AIDS awareness and children. Nandi Mandela, Nelson Mandela's granddaughter,
and Miss South Africa assisted the program there.
Results: On Saturday 29, 1997 the 8,300 HOPE worldwide volunteers educated 1,200,000 Africans on AIDS issues affecting children. These prevention
groups have now established community support groups in 12 sites in 8 of these
countries. No international funds were used for this campaign. Referral to ongoing
testing and support programs was facilitated at each site and media coverage
was extensive. The impact and effectiveness of the campaign was difficult to
assess at the local sites and this aspect of the work needs to be developed.
Lessons Learned: The community and its various community groups must be
mobilised for large scale AIDS awareness campaigns in the developing world.
Volunteers and resources are available and accessible. Support and prevention
must be integrated in each community.
33363 Participatory and interactive street theatre as an effective
tool in sex/AIDS education: The Ghanaian experience
William Joe Adusei. SNV-Urban Programme PO. Box 413, Takoradi, Ghana
Issue: Adopting the right and appropriate communication medium/tool in letting
the target group relive the realities of the problems at stake to ensure behaviuoral
change.
Project: Despite the various and numerous campaigns against AIDS in the
country, it has been learnt with alarming concern that AIDS cases, unofficially
and officially proclaimed, continue to rise. Yet there are a lot of national and international bodies, with the requisite resources, who are supposed to offer better
solutions to the problem. The cause for such a failure, has been identified as
being due to lack of an effective/appropriate communication tool. It is therefore the
concern over this problem and to help mitigate it that has led, through the initiative
and quidelines of this author, to the formation and organising of community theare
groups with the main task of using participatory and interactive street theatre
to communicate AIDS issues to the communities and also to openly encourage
the use of condoms which hitherto was 'approached in secrecy' and with reluctance. Methods include sketches, songs, dance choreography, etc. (Video clip
available).
Results: Very appreciative. Targeted audience talk of sex and AIDS issues
openly. Improvement in the readiness to buy and use condoms without any
inhibition, etc.
Lessons learned: People are ever prepared to accept challenges and change
their behaviour as expected if and only if they are made to relive and experience
the realities, in a practical way, of the problems they are involved in/with.

33364 | Follow-up and continuation of training: The essential
component of train the trainer workshops
Anil Purohit16, John Zohminthanga2, R. Sharma3, V. Rabukawaqa4, A. Gray5,
J. Chakrabortyl. I c/o Judy Suleski, Dept. of Physiology & Molecular Medicine
Medical College of Ohio, 3035 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, Ohio; 5 David's House
Compassion, Inc., Toledo, OH; 6BIDMC Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA,
USA; 2Regional Paramedical Training Institute, Aizawl, MZ, India; 3Colonial War
Memorial Hospital, Suva; 4Ministry of Health, Tuvalu, Fiji
Issues: Training of HIV educators and health care workers in developing countries is an important task. However, monitoring the outcome of such programs
and expansion of HIV educational programs to general public by the trainees are
important issues. We have worked with health care professionals in India and
Fiji. We are continuously monitoring the involvement of our trainees in HIV/AIDS
educational activities.
Project: World AIDS Foundation sponsored workshops were conducted in
India and Fiji during 1994-1995 and 1995-1996. In India, over 180 health care
workers were trained and 100 health care workers were trained in Fiji. We have
developed special criteria to monitor the educational activities of our trainees.
This includes contact between the site directors and the trainees, and requirement
of a certification after each trainee trains at least ten other individuals. These
two requirements work well during our follow-up process. Before the trainees are
certified, they are required to submit the names and addresses of the individuals
they have trained.
Results: In India, over 180 health care workers have trained 3,000 individuals
and in Fiji over 1,500 individuals benefited from the training. This training is
still continuing. However, continuing education needs to be implemented for our
trainees for new information and latest developments in the area of HIV/AIDS.
Lessons Learned: Continuous follow-up by the Principal Investigator and
Program Director are the essential elements in the success of the workshops.
Such requirements are needed in all the workshops. Specific criteria need to be
implemented for continuation of the program.
333651 Informal education for men who have sex with men in
cruising areas in downtown Guatemala City
Fernando Arevalo. Apdo. Postal. 1289 Guatemala, 01001, Guatemala
Issue: Men who have sex with men (MSM) - transvestites, transvestite and nontransvestite sex workers, and men who have anonymous sex with men) make up
a population vulnerable to HIV infection, whose access to HIV/AIDS prevention
education programs is often very limited.
Project: Since December 1996, a group of volunteers from, OASIS (Organizacion de Apoyo a una Sexualidad Integral frente al SIDA) has distributed free
condoms among MSM weekly, as well as materials containing information on
the correct use of condoms, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases
(STDs). This group has also offered counseling in places where men contact
other men and referred them to sites where medical assitance and HIV and STD
testing can be obtained.
Results: Coverage of STD/HIV/AIDS prevention education programs was
expanded to populations which had no prior benefit from either state or nongovernmental education prevention programs, thus promoting the correct use of
condoms. Focusing on individuals from marginalized groups within the gay community, OASIS has integrated them in its various programs. The project facilitates
the channeling of OASIS's users, already aware of HIV/AIDS prevention, into its
volunteer program.
Lessons Learned: In order to carry out an efficient task, volunteers need to be
trained in those areas which allow for a better relationship with MSM. Apropiate
printed materials need to be produced for a better comprehension of infomation.
This work experience facilitates the assessment of the individual needs of these
populations in order to improve efforts designed for their benefit. And one of most
important thinghs we need is evaluate every activity to verify the efectivity of the
information we give to the target population
|33366 HIV/AIDS knowledge among rural women in Mexico
Patricia Veloz1, M.L. Coeto2, L. Villegas2. Calzada Tlalpan 4585-20. PISO;
2Conasida Distrito Federal, Mexico
Problem: The National AIDS Prevention Program is reinforcing local programs.
As part of this activity we saw the urgent need to explore the information level
among young women in order to establish specific strategies for this vulnerable
group.
Project: Using a methodology of sampling that assures the quality of the selected blocks as well as the random selection of microgeographical areas and
households, we conducted a survey among rural childbearing women in 19 states
of Mexico. Principal questions were about AIDS causes and ways of transmission,
risk perception, preventive measures and information sources. The information
was analyzed with fox-pro and Epi-info.
Results: From 6,444 women only 43%knew about AIDS existence, 47% knew

transmission ways, 22% considered themselves at risk, 38% knew about preventive measures but only 12% used them. Information source: TV and radio 59%
press 5%, health personnel 19% and others 8%. 55% knew where to go to seek
for information.
Lesson Learned: It is urgent to implement educational strategies specially
directed to young women not only to inform but also to increase risk perception
and modify risk practices.