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

880 Abstracts 43165-43170

12th World AIDS Conference

steps in wide community-based interventions in Gaza. In implementing a module
jointly prepared by an Israeli-Palestinian team, they demonstrate that regional
cooperation is of paramount importance in fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS in the
Middle-East.
43165 Project "Women in AIDS"
Manorama Bawa1. 16, Bhagwan Das Rd. New Delhi, India
Issues - Women are now at the centre of the AIDS epidemic and it has become
clear that because of several epidemidogical, biological and sociological reasons
women are very vulnerable to HIV infection. This study was undertaken to spread
AIDS awareness amongst mid level and grass mot women.
Project - Project "Women in AIDS" was started to educate women in low risk
group and create awareness of HIV/AIDS for prevention and protection. The
training strategy adopted was from "micro to macro" and from "macro to micro".
The pre and post workshop evaluation gave an assessment of the impact of the
workshop. The programme is being implemented through various branches of
All India Women's Conference. AIWC is one of the premier and oldest voluntary
women's organisation with an existing network of women's group and an efficient
infrastructure. It has 500 branches throughout India. A 3-tier system was used to
rapidly reach maximum number of women by integrating AIDS awareness into
already existing activities of these branches such as family planning, literacy,
health, environment, etc. Twenty regional programmes have been successfully
conducted and several outreach activities have been initiated in different regions
of India. This paper will outline in details the strategies used in spreading AIDS
awareness efficiently and rapidly in large number of women. The paper will also
discuss the types of programmes into which AIDS awareness has been integrated
and the social and ethical concerns of the women attending these programmes.
Results: - Nearly 150,000 women have been reached through this programme.
The women were keen learners, very open to new ideas, information and there
was an attitude change towards protective sexual behaviour. Due to inhibitions
concerning sex, this project recommended sex education for girls in schools as
knowledge and information helps in protection.
43166 A multifactorial approach to generate male involvement
as an important strategy in the prevention of STDs
especially HIV/AIDS
Rumeli Das. Cinichlid in Need Institute PO. BOX NO: 16742, CAL - 700027, India
The prevailing situation of ignorance and taboos about sex, and decision making
being mostly a male prerogative has made the project population vulnerable to
HIV/AIDS. Therefore, an intervention Programme has been designed, comprising
of an initial situational analysis and identification of critical needs. Necessary
for male participation. The actual intervention programme consists of individual
interaction, training and group discussion with adolescents and men as well as
development of behavioural change communication materials. Identification and
training of peer educators, Social marketing of condoms and clinic based services
including counselling and referral are being provided for both men and women.
Results: Present observation reveals that there has been a positive shift of
knowledge attitude and practice of men towards their own as well as women's
reproductive health in terms of preventing HIV infection/AIDS. Condom usage as
documented in our Reproductive & Child Health (RCH) Clinic has gone up by
25%, over the last Six months. There has been a 4 times increase in the clinic
attendance among both men and women during last six months. Participation in
group sittings, trainings as well as peer educators among men have increased 3
times in the last six month, showing an increasing trend.
The involvement of males as a preventive strategy for HIV AIDS shows great
promise. It is a key area which will give impetus to any HIV/AIDS prevention
programme.
43167 The role of network groups in Nigerian HIV/AIDS and STI
control and prevention
Fiona Nzegwu. 1612 Adeola Hopewell Street Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria
Issue: Within Nigeria there is an urgent need for strong, influential and skilled
bodies to advocate for and implement effective HIV/AIDS/STI behavior change
through interventions and/or policy advocacy and adoption. Numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are encouraged to foster local collaborative
initiatives to prevent duplication, inadequate and/or inappropriate activities and to
enhance the impact of conducted programs.
Project: Credible networks have been formed in the three FHI/USAID cluster zones of Nigeria. These urban and rural based groups, seek to establish
strategies for sustenance of their organizations, provide technical assistance to
member NGOs vis a vis capacity building and skills development and seek for
materials and/or financial resources.
Results: Through activities such as a large media campaign, press briefings
seminars, "health" carnivals and drama/dance productions, during the World AIDS

Day (WAD '97) Campaign 1997, HIV/AIDS/STI/health oriented organizations are
more readily accepted as positive, serious and influential bodies, thaat can advocate for policy change and implementation. Over 10,000 people were reached
by these events including, in and out of school youth, long distance drivers,
healthcare workers and PLWHIV and AIDS.
Individual groups are often initially reluctant to join established networks feeling
that their autonomy, credibility and/or available "limited" donor funds will be sub
sumed. Conversely, previously unyielding government officials are now calling
upon the networks to conduct mobilization and sensitization activities for the
general populace.
43168 "Reaching around the barriers" - Sustainable HIV/AIDS
education and prevention in native community settings
Thomas Howe. PO. Box 47049, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 2BO, Canada
Issue: A small-scale Native ASO providing sustainable HIV/AIDS education and
prevention to 34 Native communities must develop and implement programming
that is innovative and community specific.
Project: Our agency provides wholistic and culturally specific HIV/AIDS education and prevention in Native community settings. This project has a broad
mandate which targets training in the areas of addictions, family violence and
Native inmate populations. With such a considerable population to deliver services to, emphasis is on networking and communication to facilitate skills and
knowledge transfer in a sustainable manner. The project combines training along
with the transfer of knowledge and skills to facilitate community ownership of
the development of HIV/AIDS policy/protocol. Program development is dual in
focus-where feasible, to directly address barriers to improve service delivery
and where this is not possible, to develop programming to see that knowledge
and awareness can reach those barriers-particularly through our "partners in
prevention".
Results: This project been able to expand and improve our network of "partners in prevention". This has resulted in increased levels of community input into
program initiatives and design.
Lessons Learned: Programming must build or strengthen partnerships among
Native social service agencies ("partners in prevention") often dealing directly
with those that are infected/affected by HIV/AIDS. It must be aware of the barriers
to the transfer of education and prevention strategies-thus we strive to increase
our understanding of our communities and their particular dynamics.
43169 Protection of women and their children from impact of
AIDS among PLWHA through support groups
Janipher Mpundu. Hope House Plot No 174, Luanshya Road, PO Box 37559,
Lusaka, Zambia
Issue: The impact of AIDS among women living with HIV/AIDS has been great.
This is due to fact that most women have been dependent on male counter part
for most of their needs and wants mostly when they are in marriage. The worst
problem arise the other spouse become deceased.
Project: A scheme was initiated through self-help project to equip its members
to acquire knowledge on how they (women) can empower themselves economically, emotionally and of precaution in order to have long life and caring of their
children.
Results: Education was given to the women in the self helps groups whom were
empowered in both knowledge and skills in long term surviving and measures
meant for upbringing of their children.
Lesson Learnt: It has been possible to empower women with life skills through
education which will help them look after their children.
39*/43170 Sexual health in a young city: A community-based
intervention on youth sexual health in Lima
Carlos F. Caceres, C. Cabezudo, O. Jimenez, R. Valverde, G. Perez-Luna. Dept.
of Public Health, Cayetano Heredia, Univ AV Honorio Delgado 430, Lima 31,
Peru
Objective: To design, implement and evaluate a community-based and multisectoral intervention on youth sexual health (SH) and HIV/STD prevention in two
lower-middle class districts in Lima, Peru.
Design: A community intervention trial using mostly qualitative methods.
Methods: A program promoting community mobilization, development of local resources and youth empowerment to improve youth sexual health/rights
was designed, implemented and evaluated in two districts of Lima. It involved
3 components (i.e. strengthening/articulation of youth SH services; mobilization
of relevant social actors such as the municipalities, the local health and education sectors, youth organizations, CBOs and the press; and a multi-strategy
campaign). Evaluation data were collected at onset (i.e. a home-based survey
of youths; youth focus groups, and interviews with community stakeholders) and
during/immediately after the intervention (i.e. interviews with community leaders
and youth peer educators, discussion groups, post-workshop surveys and an
evaluation workshop at the end).
Results: Most planned activities (i.e. 2 music concerts, 2 community fairs, 4
train-the-trainers worshops, 18 sexual health workshops for youth, a poster design contest for World AIDS Day, and several community stakeholders meetings)
were implemented despite the limited budget during the 8-month intervention. The
young found the program strategy very innovative and praised its proximity to their

values and its participatory nature. The program generated great expectations
amongst social actors involved, particularly among health care providers (who
were united in a pilot network), teachers, CBOs and some youth organizations,
which contrasted with difficulties in assuring its continuity due to the limited priority this issue had for the municipalities and health and education authorities, as
expressed in their lack of initiative to incorporate this strategy into their policies,
and to allocate resources and staff time to this program.