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

12th World AIDS Conference

Abstracts 43181-43185 883

Maternal Health services in health centers. Strategies included in this approach
are: 1) training of core group composed of health center personnel and a representative of Salvation Army (NGO) on STD syndromic management; counseling
and concepts of community based approach. Medical technologists were likewise
trained on laboratory procedures to strengthen STD surveillance program; 2) a
Reproductive Tract and Health Clinic has been set up in the centers. This caters
to giving holistic services on Family Planning, Maternal Health, pre-marriage
counseling and STD-AIDS; 3) to enhance community acceptability to STD-AIDS
services, networking with in the community were adapted through community
diagnosis. Community volunteers, establishment owners and sex workers were
likewise organized; and 4) to carry out sustainability of the program, partnership
with the local government units were established.
Results: The integrated primary health care approach has effected a better acceptance of STD-AIDS services in the community. Voluntary consultations, early
diagnosis and appropriate treatment were noted not only among people practicing
risky behaviors but also more importantly among the general population.
Lessons Learned: This approach has empowered the community to design
strategies on STD-AIDS reflective and receptive to their needs.
43181 The experience of participatory approach to
HIV/STD/AIDS prevention strategies among the
disadvantaged rural adolescence in northern Uganda
L. Olong Amuri, Dan Odwedo Ochieng, Peter Okello, Richard Epila,
Francis Okello. Support Action for Youth (SAYOU), Lira District Local
Government, Planning Unit, SYFA, PO. Box 363, Lira, Uganda
Issues: In 1994/95 the District Youth Council- in Collaboration with Uganda AIDS
commision/safe gaurd youth from AIDS Implemented a HIV/STD/AIDS prevention programme amongst the adolescence in twenty eight rural sub- counties. By
discouraging cultural premature and Immoral sexual behaviors, reduce the rate of
infections of STDS amongst the adolescence and community through Educating
and promoting safe sex amongst the adolescent by the use of condom at any
normal sexual intercourse.
Project: Conducted meetings with subcounty Administrators, Youth council
Officials and Community from village to subcounty level; encouraging active participation of the adolescence in BCP (behavior change programmes) activities;
training of peer group (behavior change Educators) BCE; availing the local IEC
materials to the communities; support planning, programming and implementation
of rural educational open and regular discussions by BCE agents; establishment
of condoms distribution centres; initiation of sportive opportune activities on
competative basis, as part of mobilization strategy.
Results: March 1995 to date facilitated 28 meetings through the participation
of sub-counties and youth officials, in each of 28 sub-counties headquarters;
2 BCE surveys have been conducted; at least 116 (2 females and 2 males
adolescentsper subcounty) have received training; 1 local IEC manual has been
developed, tested and being published; Youth statute DYC/BCE/SYFA has been
distributed to rural councillors, at least 900 copies have already been circulated;
one dispensary within each sub-county has been confirmed for distribution of
condoms and as HIV/STDs/AIDS information centres; so far 30.000 condoms
have been supplied (280 sold, and 28.000 gratitudely given).
Lessons Learned: HIV/STDs/AIDS prevention and information strategies focused on adolescence participation through policy formulation and implementation, can be successful at all levels if properly facilitated/educated on their roles;
HIV/STDs/AIDS prevention strategies are much more successful at grassroot
levels through well coordinated participation of the youth, administrators and
medical service delivery units.
43182 "Carnival AIDS", AIDS education utilizing carnival street
bands
T.C. Roach1, Eugene Campbell Hall2. 'Director, AIDS Management Team,
Bridgetown, 2AIDS Information Centre, Ministry of Health, Jemmotts Lane, St.
Michael, Barbados
Issues: Innovative and creative techniques are needed to convey AIDS information. This study describes the use of Carnival street Bands as (a) a medium for
general public education and (b) to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS to facilitate
behavior change.
Project: Carnival Street Bands are a part of many Caribbean festivals. For
the last 6 years Barbados, a small Caribbean Island, has utilized the medium
of an "AIDS Band" to educate the general public about the disease, the routes
of transmission and preventive measures. "Grand Kadooment" and Congaline"
are festivals that consist of colorful costumed revelers, accompanied by calypso,
steel band and indigenous music which tramp the streets. Each year the band
has a focused theme in 1997 the band was entitled "The Prevention Express".
The band is supported by The National Advisory Committee on AIDS, and The
AIDS Society of Barbados.
Results: Every year the 100-150 member band has won prizes. In 1997,
prizes were won in the categories - advertising, originality and best community

costume band. It is estimated that 55,000 people observed the band from the
roadside and 150,000 watched on television. 20,000 fliers promoting safe sex
and 25,000 condoms were distributed by members during the parade. At least
75% of the Island population were exposed to this culturally appropriate form of
AIDS education.
Lessons Learned: Carnival bands are an innovative, culturally appropriate
form of public education that can be utilized for AIDS awareness. It is recom
mended that other countries - particularly Caribbean Islands and Latin American
Countries - that have annual festivals utilize this as an effective form of AIDS
education.
S43183 Strategies of prevention of HIV in different countries:
A review
Phi Hoynh Do. Residence Garric, Cite Universitaire 21, Bd Jourdan F-75014,
Paris, France
Issue: The HIV-Pandemic is increasing in the world, particularly in developing
countries. It is extremely important to develop effective preventive strategies.
Project/Study: We have made an analysis, an evaluation of results and a
synthesis of preventive strategies in four lands: Switzerland, Tanzania, Uganda,
and Thailand. At the end of our analysis, we find that an effective program of
prevention of HIV/AIDS should include the following points:
) a sensitization of politicians in each land, leading to an awareness of the problem and cooperation with WHO, UNAIDS and NGO in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
2) a coordinating organism at national level 3) a nationwide information & prevention campaign about HIV with a massive use of mass media and clear messages.
4) the strategy of target groups: specific campaigns directed towards specific
groups (prostitutes, IV drug users, migrants women, youths...) 5) Utilization of
the right means and channels of communication, 6) of multiplicators of messages
(physicians, nurses, midwives, social workers, journalists, teachers) 7) of community-based mediators 8) of peer educators, coming from different risk groups
9) a program of detection & epidemiologic surveillance of the HIV-epidemic, with
sentinel sites 10) a program of distribution of preservatives as in Thailand 11) a
plan to take care of IV drug users with oral substitution programs with methadone
12) a plan to detect and treat Sexually Transmitted Diseases as in Tanzania 13)
a plan to detect and treat tuberculosis 14) a plan to promote sexual education,
contraception, to reduce mother to child transmission of HIV by distributing AZT
15) individual counselling through mediators 16) community-and school-based
education programs to reduce risk behaviour.
Results: Substantial decrease of incidence of new HIV-infections in large
groups of population in those four above mentioned countries, stabilization of the
HIV-epidemic in Switzerland.
Conclusion: Those preventive strategies could be adapted and used in other
countries.
43184 The radio medium as an instrument of outreach HIV
prevention: "Cites-Rock" in France
Anne Catrou, J.Y. Fatras, M. Arnaudies, P. Lemonnier, D. Guihot, M. Terki. DGS
8 Avenue de Segur 75350 Paris 07SP, France
Project: An occupationnal team composed of one radio-periodist and one sound
ingeneer have worked during two summer periods in various socially disadvantadged suburban centers with teenagers, to build with them a community radio
program for AIDS prevention. The implication of the local health, authorities and
all the actors of associations and institutions involved in the AIDS local projects
was really important and the teenagers have demonstrated a great capacity of
creation in prevention message. They became more responsible and positive and
generally expressed an important long term action demand after the operations.
Evaluation: A nationally planned media operation could have been very difficult
to accept for outreach prevention actors used to working in local contexts and with
a populationnal approach methodology but the high occupationnal level of the
team and the thorough preparation of every operation gave very positive results.
External evaluation has shown that in spite of 10% failure, the enthousiasm of
teens and the concrete preventive content of every radio programme have overwhelmed the main critics about this project. No other media could have created
such messages and the local actions are now ready to start again. Radio is a
neutral place where mediation is possible because of the necessity to explain in
concrete words the universe of every participant: teenagers, scientists, political
institutions, administrations, all members of the AIDS programms. It is a way to
work on representations, to do away with taboos and to let speech flow freely.
Fun can be and is a pedagogic method.
Conclusion: There is a very interesting complementarity, in our media-centered
society, between media used as an interactive way of expression for listeners and
speakers and mobilization of young people by social-health workers.
S43185 The use of a Freirian education model to train Latin
American immigrants to educate extended family
members and the broader community
Philip Moses', C.J. Crespo2, J. Gutierrez3, G. Torres4, A. Mendez5, S. Mora6,
D. Lopez7. '310 Tulip Ave., Takoma Park, MD 20912; 2American University
Washington DC; 3Casa of Maryland, Washington DC; 4Casa de Maryland,
Takoma Park MD; 5Prince Georges County Health Department, Cheverly MD;
6 Montgomery County Health Department, Silver Spring MD; 7Health
Consultants International Silver Spring MD, USA

Issue: Most educational programs for minorities in the US do not address appropriately the linguistic needs and cultural taboos about sexuality within the Hispanic
family.
Project: A total of 17 Latin American immigrants volunteered to take part in
an HIV peer-education program targeting recent Latin American immigrants with
low levels of education and income. The volunteers (all women over the age of