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

690 Abstracts 33508-33513

12th World AIDS Conference

To use the cartoon in a Health Campaign demonstrates that it is possible to
treat lightly a serious subject. In the case of AIDS, the alternative is the prevention.
However, the prevention will only be a part of the society if there is a change in
the behaviour of each citizen. That is the challenge: to change the behaviour of
people by means of entertainment and art. And with a lot of good humour.
|33508 Radio shows with popular music to reach those specific
groups vulnerable to HIV/AIDS
Abel Quiroga1, Joaquin Hurtado2, A. Rodriguez2. 1A. Obregon 1309-Ante.,
Monterrey N.L.; 2Movimiento Abrazo A.C., Monterey, NL, Mexico
Issue: Radio is a sub-utilized media for creating awareness about HIV/AIDS
prevention in less favored social groups.
Project: The radio show "Tiempo S: AIDS and Everyday Life" reaches a demographic group of some 10 thousand listeners in Monterrey and others areas in
Northeast Mexico. It's broadcast during 180 minutes a week. Its content "colombiano" music style, and conveys messages, discussions, testimonies, and news
about AIDS, reproductive health services and other STD issues.
Results: The audience has enrolled in several community programs our organization is working. Also, it has improved the quality of participation. There's the
possibility of a better access between sexual and reproductive health services,
both official an non-government.
Lessons Learned: Upon getting in touch with the cultural requirements of a
specific community, it's possible to change attitudes relative to the perception of
risks in becoming infected with HIV/AIDS. However, the lack of financial resources
hinders the expansion of this program.
33509 Information and education through mass media for the
prevention of HIV/AIDS infection in Argentina
Adriana Portas, J.C. Gonzalez-Blanco, G. Sica, F. Crimi-Felix, G. Tortora.
Neuropsychiatric Hospital Jose T Borda, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Nowadays, the importance of mass media for the education to fight AIDS is
worldwide recognized and it was on account of the occurrence of this pandemia
that the education for health could gain back some space and recovered the
importance it should have never lost. Independently of the success got with
regards to the treatment and characteristics of the disease, we still state that the
most important tool we count on is prevention. This present video intends to point
out the differences existing between the concepts of information and education,
the simplicity with which AIDS suddenly appeared in our society; to show through
an individual the attitude the society, who did not feel involved, took and how
it looked for a defense against this threat making a mental frame that an HIV
patient was carrying a bomb which might blow up at any time. In the first few
years when this disease appeared, the mass media were merely a channel for
the information regarding the evolution of AIDS; in them, they talked about risk
groups considering that the first cases of infected people reported belonged to
such and such human group. But the information received, does not account
for the way in which the receiver interprets this information hence it is logical
that those who were not drug addicts or homosexuals should feel unaffected
by that problem. It took a time for the mass media to pass from the simple
information about the increase in AIDS cases to opening their spots to education
and prevention campaigns where the main guideline is what it is intended to be
interpreted, reducing the gap between what is transmitted and what is received.
For the development of this idea, we took one of those stories which we have
listened to through all these years of work showing how simple an ordinary the
appearance of the disease was in a society where they talked about risk groups
and the infection was framed according to life styles. To summarize, what we
meant was to show the story of an ordinary man who begins his sexual life in the
80's where the explosion of contraceptive methods definitely buried the use of
condoms and allowed for the enjoyment of sexuality without the ancestral fear of
getting pregnant unexpectedly. To inform does not always mean to educate. To
understand the slight difference between both categories is to understand
where the way for the change in social attitudes towards AIDS is.
33510 Promoting sexual health networks through newsletters
Kiran Verma, S. Sengupta, S. Bhattacharva, J. Hague. 1 WBSHP 9A, Little
Russel Street Calcutta-700071, West Bengal, India
Issue: The West Bengal Sexual Health Project is promoting a network of sexual
health policy makers, planners, providers and partners of the project in West Bengal with a view to advocate best practice and best public policy through information
dissemination. The WBSHP newsletter is one such means of effective networking
Project: The six monthly WBSHP newsletter named Partners, was launched in
January 1997 to provide opportunities through which different organisations can
share their experiences about new sexual health programmes, best practices,
success stories and flag issues of concern and to bring readers up to date with
the latest research findings, new books, video releases, national and international

conferences.
Results: More than a thousand copies of the newsletter were distributed all
over West Bengal, India and abroad to NGOs, CBOs, academicians, govt officials,
economists, researchers, health planners, health care workers, policy makers,
medical professionals and donor agencies. Being the first of its kind in West
Bengal focusing only on sexual health and STD/HIV related issues, inputs were
needed from people working in sexual health on some key issues related to the

newsletter like its usefulness, coverage of issues etc. With this in mind a questionnaire was developed and sent out to about 550 contacts. A 15% response was
achieved. Analysis revealed that people considered it to be very useful because it
was a medium through which people could get to know more of STD/HIV related
issues, updates on STD/HIV infection
Lessons Learned: Newsletter is a very effective medium of networking, coordination and sharing ideas and best practices among people working in sexual
health. It is also an effective medium from which others in related fields can draw
lessons.
33511 nitiating the population on the individual familial and
community taking in charge of persons living with
HIV/AIDS
Ekotto Voundi nee Abenyindi1, Pierre Kounga Bepe2, Claire Ngu Marie1,
Rigobert Tamwoa3. 1 Ministry of Public Health, Cellule Communication, Yaounde;
2Association Anis de la Prudence, Yaounde; 3lnts. of Yaounde, Cameroon
Objectives: to promote the integration, the rehabilitation and the counselling of
seropositives/AIDS patients in their family and in the community
Design: prospective, evaluation of public reactions and an other control study.
Methods: the association <<Amis de la prudence> of Yaounde has engage in
fight against AIDS, has carry-out a study on the attitude of seropositves on their
new situation of live and on their behaviours/reactions of their family members and
of the community. Studies carried-out in collaboration with the Ministry of Health
has encourage us to write and stage another play called <<Live with AIDS> we
have programmed presentation of the play in different parts of Yaounde. The play
deals with the life of a person infected with HIV, his reactions his misfortunes, his
family. Because many persons either healthy or infected recognised themselves
in that play, they have asked us to present it at the national and even at international level for a largest sensitisation. We have to produce a telefilm from that
play which will be shown in Health Centres!!!
Results: This IEC/counselling material of great importance is advantageous
because it is well adapted with the context, be it because of the players, the decor
or scenario, this help many persons to take themselves in charge and many
others to take care of their infected family members.
Conclusion: The play and telefilm, as distraction leisure are good means of
transmitting educational messages. They provoke change of behaviours of an
individual or of a community.
33512 | Life in the times of AIDS: a radio program series
experience
Manuel Carlos Lopes Castaheda. Amatlan 43-1 Col. Condesa, Mexico 06140,
Mexico
Life in the times of AIDS is a radio program series consisting of 4 different sections
(feature, newsletter, radiodrama and interview plus some other important information about AIDS, AIDS prevention basic human rights of the people living with
AIDS and how to deal with the HIV infection. This series was broadcasted each
week for two consecutive years trough Radio Universidad National beginning with
a half an hour program for 27 weeks, getting a complete hour later. This was the
first radio program in Mexico with this characteristics. It was very successful and
we received a lot of positive commentaries.
That Radiodrama is the format that communicates better than human experience of HIV/AIDS related subjects. That it is necessary a team effort to achieve
a radio program like this.
33513 Journalists role in creating awareness among the
vulnerable and those already infected with the AIDS
causing virus
Caroline Ger Onyango. 30080 Nairobi Kenya, East African Standard
Newspapers, Kenya
Issue: The HIV/AIDS cases accounts for sixty percent of patients admitted it
medical wards both at district and provincial levels. New infections are happening
at an unprecedented rate as those already infected progress to AIDS.
Project: Given the rtat which new HIV infections are occurring and deaths
related to the same, we felt there is need to conduct a research study on the same.
The study which we conducted last year was sponsored entirely by my organisation, East African Standard Newspapers. We spoke to experts, researchers,
people living with the AIDS causing virus and those who have lost relatives to the
disease. The research study also involved a tour of all the district and provincial
hospitals in the country. We interviewed clinicians, paramedics and patients in
these hospitals suffering from AIDS related opportunistic infections. The clinicians
talked about AIDS related diseases seen in patients disclosing that Tuberculosis
and diarrhoea resistant to therapy was a major problem.
Results: Research on 12 hospitals five of them provincial and seven district
hospitals established that doctors are spending a better part of their time attend
ing to patients afflicted with the virus at the expense of patients suffering from
treatable diseases.
Lessons Learned: Since our HIV/AIDS stories were published in July and
December last year, we have received a number of inquiries for more information about the disease and doctors we interviewed. This means that journalists
can play a pivotal role in addressing the AIDS pandemic and therefore need to
collaborate with experts.