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

686 Abstracts 33487-33492

12th World AIDS Conference

broadcast starting on December 1, 1997. Along with the program, local AIDS
hotline numbers were advertised, and the address where people could request a
free educational brochure on AIDS to be mailed to them.
Results: Data from hotlines and letters were collected showing great interest
and wide response of the public in various parts of Russia.
Lessons Learned: Radio broadcasts allow to reach a broad audience with
educational messages presented in an acceptable format. Audio programs can
also feature testimonies of people from affected communities, at the same time
ensuring their anonymity which is a major concern in Russia.
33487 A new UNAIDS framework for communicating HIV/AIDS
messages
Collins Airhihenbuwa1, B. Makinwa2. 1Penn State Dept. of Biobehavioral Health,
304 East Hhd, University Park, PA, USA; 2UNAIDS, Geneva, Switzerland
Issues: With 90% of the new cases of HIV being reported from Africa, Asia, Latin
America and the Caribbean, it is timely to evaluate approaches to prevention
and care in terms of the adequacy of frameworks and strategies that are used to
inform communications programming in the regions.
Project: Beginning in 1997, the joint United Nations AIDS program (UNAIDS)
initiated a communications programming project designed to develop a new communications framework that will be adequate to different regions of the world
in HIV/AIDS prevention and care. Several researchers and practitioners from
different parts of the world were invited by UNAIDS to participate in consultation
meetings designed to evaluate existing frameworks and strategies used in communication strategies for HIV/AIDS, rethink the adequacy of these frameworks
and strategies, develop a new framework based in part on relevant elements of
existing frameworks and strategies, experiences from the field, and the relevance
to regional cultures. Penn State's Department of Biobehavioral Health is the
primary partner in coordinating the development of the new framework. Other
partners include UNAIDS co-sponsors.
Results: There was a consensus among the participants that currently used
theories and strategies of behavior change in communications do not provide
an adequate framework for communications programming in Africa, Asia, Latin
America, and the Caribbean.
Lessons Learned: A new framework is needed to address the contexts (culture, social economic status, gender relations and power, government and policy)
which shape individuals and their decisions. Such a framework should address
the fact that individual decisions about HIV/AIDS prevention are often based on
emotion rather than the assumption of individual rational volition on which most
existing frameworks are based.
33488 Using television advertisements for social marketing of
AIDS prevention messages
Shui Shan Lee, T.M.Y. Choi. AIDS Unit 5/F Yaumatei JCC 145 Battery Street,
Yaumatei Kowloon, Hong Kong
Objective: To determine the roles of television advertisements in marketing AIDS
prevention concepts and messages in population based campaigns.
Methods: Twenty-eight television advertisements (announcement of public interest, or APIs) and their radio versions produced by the government under the
auspices of the Community on Education and Publicity on AIDS were reviewed.
Their targets, aims and messages were coded. Expression of the messages were
studied and analyzed.
Results: An average of 2.8 television advertisements on AIDS per year had
been produced from 1987 to 1996 (range of 1 to 5 a year). The standard duration
was 30 seconds. Sixteen (57%) were explicitly targeting at the public while 4 at
men with casual sex, 2 at women, 1 at each of the following: men having sex with
men, youth, travelers, clients of commercial sex workers, and illicit drug users.
Seven of these APIs aimed at agenda-setting, 3 at increasing the knowledge, 5
at modify attitudes and 12 to market behavioural messages. Key messages for
agenda setting were "AIDS kills" and "Think about AIDS". The behavioural ones
said: "Take Precautions", "Use A Condom", "Avoid Casual Sex" and "Avoid Needle Sharing". Drama had been the most commonly used format (14) followed by
testimonials (9) and narration (3). Both the most and least popular ones featured
celebrities. Four had been considered fear-provoking. One had demonstrated the
use of condom and in another the audience were triggered to think about AIDS
using a riddle.
Conclusions: Television and radio advertisements could be powerful tools
to market AIDS prevention messages to the public and could potentially reach
the marginalised population. They shall be utilized in line with the main theme
population based campaigns. The choice of technique and presentation skill is
crucial, and the societal attitudes and perception around the launching period
could modify the impacts.
|33489 AIDS and the media - Why the declining coverage?
Pamphil Kweyuh. PO. Box 12871 or 60862, Nairobi, Kenya

Issue: The coverage of HIV-AIDS in the African media, particularly newspapers
continues to drop. This is in spite of the fact that we are only beginning to see
the worst effects of the pandemic. What is the problem and is there hope that a
solution could be found?
Project: The research analyses coverage of HIV-AIDS in Kenya's widest circulated newspaper, "the Daily Nation" and its two sister weekly publications, "the

East African" and "Sunday Nation" for a period of six months between July 1
and December 31, 1997. Brief questionnaires are sent to the editors of the three
papers to discern certain patterns in their selection, commission and usage of
select features.
Results: Coverage, as already shown is well below satisfaction. The situation
can only get worse. Stories on HIV-AIDS are normally very anecdotal warnings,
some of which are badly packaged in threats, condemnation, and overall, even
unjust. Treatment on the front page and other crucial spaces are increasingly
rare. The stories are more often than not written and edited by people lacking
in basic understanding of the HIV-AIDS. The editors plead lack of news and or
innovation in most stories being filed. Coverage is increasingly being limited to
major events, local or overseas, such as the World AIDS Day.
Lessons Learnt: Journalists awareness of HIV-AIDS is Wanting. The creation
of and maintenance of "health Desks" is overdue. Health reporters should do the
bulk of the coverage and must be trained and retrained. The writers need good
contact with researchers. Human faces and not statistics should be corner stone
of HIV-AIDS reporting.
33490 Toll free hotline as a preventive intervention strategy
Ellen Zita Ayer, M.C. Pimenta, I. Botelho, G. Marot, J.C. Dias Gonqalves. Brazilian AIDS Program MOH, Espl. Ministerios BL. G. Brasilia DF, 70058-900, Brazil
Issue: Considering that Information is the initial step for AIDS and STD prevention and the difficulty of providing up-to-date information to a population of
156 million,the Brazilian AIDS Program developed a national toll free information
hotline service.
Project: Within a public health policy perspective, the Brazilian AIDS Program
established in 1996 a 24 hour information system through a toll-free telephone
service with a team of 40 university level attendants. These attendants were
trained to answer questions in a standard form, provide preventive information
and referrals for STD/AIDS assistance and care. A digital data bank was developed gathering technical information on transmission and prevention, as well as,
especialized services available throughout the country.
Results: 1) From oct. 96 to oct. 97, 360.000 calls were registered from 100%
of the 27 states in the country. 2) 70% of the calls requested information about
AIDS transmission. 3) 63% of the calls corresponded to the 15-29 age group with
2% more calls for males compared to females.
Lessons Learned: The hotline system demonstrated to be also an essencial
instrument to evaluate the understanding of information and knowledge retention
by the population from national and regional education campaigns and midia
interventions. It provides feedback on matters related to both AIDS prevention
and assistance that reed to be clarified to the population.
33491 Young people's sexual health project in West Bengal,
India
Mira Kakkar. Thoughtshop Foundation., 2G Maurya Cent Re, 48 Gariahat Road
Calcutta, India
Issue: The sexual route is known to account for 75 percent of the HIV infection
cases. Thus young people, who form one of the most sexually active groups,
need to have an accurate understanding of HIV/AIDS and other issues around
sexual health.
Project: Thoughtshop compiled and produced an interactive sex education
column called ASK (AIDS, Sex, Knowledge) which used to appear in the young
people's section of a Calcutta English newspaper. Interaction took place through
letters which were answered in the column. About 1,500 letters were received
from all over West Bengal containing queries, problems and suggestions. The
letters provided an insight into the young people's sexual health problems and
information needs. The need to deal with the subject in languages such as Bengali
and Hindi came through clearly.
Results: The project led to a needs assessment of the sexual health information
needs and problems of young people in West Bengal. Among:
- 12-19 year age group
- Rural, urban and peri-urban areas of West Bengal. Included an institutional
analysis and in-depth interviews with the influencers of young people.
Young people in West Bengal need a programme dedicated to solving their
sexual health problems. A multi-pronged approach needed: Preferred media:
Face-to-face interaction through group discussions, media such as newspapers,
radio, TV, and peer education programmes. Also through existing structures:
schools, NGOs, clubs, etc.
S33492 Power and weakness of the media for AIDS education in
Mali
Anne Marie Jeay1, S. Thiero2. 1Universite Nancy II, BP 3397, 54015 Nancy
Cedex, France; 2Director Regionale de la Education, Segou, Mali
Objectives: This sociological study focused on AIDS and health information,

patterns and behaviors. The focus here is: what kind of knowledge system about
AIDS, HIV transmission and preventive methods are media messages able to
construct in their receivers?
Method: 1205 questionnaires were collected in 6 Regions of Mali between
August 93 and December 94, informative interviews and document analysis were
also used. We refer to 5 questions on AIDS and 6 on media. There is currently
no another inquiry on media in Mali.