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

922 Abstracts 43388-43392

12th World AIDS Conference

Results: The Comparison of the project indicators at the launching and at
the end of the activities shows that: The use of condom (ever use condom) has
increased from 66% to 74%. The use of condom with prostitute during the last
month had increase from 46% to 58%. The proportion of those with more than 2
sexual partners during the last three months has decreased from 47% to 37%. We
see that the project has reduced risked behaviors indeed, but the achievements
remain less than the forecasts.
Lessons Learned: Sensitization through peers education strategy among homogeneous sub-population yields undeniable results in reducing risked sexual
behaviors. But, to have more effective results, it would be better to associate to it
others AIDS prevention strategies
S43388 Comparison of knowledge, attitudes and practices on
HIV/AIDS among the medical and infantry corps of the
Nigerian Army
Ernest Ekong. Flat 17E, 14 Reeve Road Hkoyi, Lagos, Nigeria
Objectives: To assess and compare the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the
selected samples in the two Corps towards HIV/AIDS and to assess the technical
knowledge of the Medical Corps on HIV/AIDS with a viewing to determining their
ability to educate the other Corps.
Design: Cross-sectional comparative study.
Methodology: Data was collected from 259 respondents corresponding to
86.3% of the projected sample size of 300 from the total population of 2305 in
the two units of each Corps. The instrument used was the questionniare, and
analysis was with the EPI-lnfo Software.
Results: The modal age range were, 20-29 years (Infantry), and 30-39 years
(Medical). Married respondents were 56.6% (Infantry) and 50% (Medical), with
44.4% (Infantry) and 21.9% (Medical) not living with their spouses. Ninety six
point three percent, and 90.7% (Medical) and 49.3% and 95.6%(lnfantry) had
heard on HIV and AIDS respectively. Regular source of information on HIV/AIDS
was Anti-AIDS campaigns in the barracks 26%, (Infantry) and Health talks 38.9%
(Medical). Majority in both Corps first heard of HIV/AIDS, one to five years prior
to this study (62.4% Infantry and 44.4% Medical). On attitudes towards the AIDS
patient, 95.2% (Infantry) suggest confinement and restriction of movement, while
94.6% (Medical) suggested they should be hospitalized. Averagely, respondents
in both Corps had moOre than one sexual partner. Patronage of commercial sex
workers was higher in the infantry (28.3% to 1.9%) and condom was used mostly
when in doubt of partners' health (Infantry 59%, Medical 38.9%). In the Medical
Corps, only 16.7% and 44.4% could write correctly the meaning of HIV and AIDS
respectively. Gloves were not worn always for operative procedures. Major signs
of AIDS were recognised as follows: Weight loss (81.5%) Persistent fever (64.8%)
and Persistent diarrhoea (61.1%).
Conclusion: Issues about HIV/AIDS are still redimentary in the Nigerian Army,
especially sympthoms, modes of transmission, and control measures. Urgent intervention with regular health education is needed. Condom and other protective
materials should be provided freely to soldiers and Medical Centres.
43389 Military units - A male arena for the prevention of
HIV/STD
Bengt Sundbaum. National Institute of Public Health, S-10352 Stockholm,
Sweden
Issue: In order to reach young men effectively, a base for permanent HIV/STD
preventive work has to be established in male areas and adult men encouraged
to act as intermediaries and role models.
Project: "Operation Close-in Protection" is the title of a project which has
been operating since 1991 under the supervision of the NIPH and the Supreme
Commander of the Armed Forces in Sweden. County councils have participated
in the project, which focuses mainly on training courses for medical and military
staff. There have been two evaluations: by questionnaire in 1993 and through interviews in 1995. In 1997 the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces decided
to take over management responsibility for the long-term integration of Operation
Close-in Protection with the ordinary military activities of the various units.
Results: The questionnaire evaluation in 1993 showed that responsibility for
the project in its early years was mainly assumed by the medical (female) staff
and that preventive work proceeded on fairly traditional lines. The focusing of
educational efforts in recent years on male officers and NCOs, and the emphasis placed on the connection between the project and such issues as military
leadership have resulted in growing numbers of male officers and NCOs joining
the project. A variety of methods are used, such as informal male dialogues,
conventional classroom instruction and condom use reminders before leaves and
weekends.
Lessons learned: Many underlying attitudes and patterns of the organisation
will be challenged in order to make the project an integral part of the activities
of military units. Development work must therefore be characterised by long-term
planning, dialogue and respect. The support of the Supreme Commander and
the stress laid on links with military leadership have played a crucial part in

establishing these activities on a permanent basis.

S43390 Knowledge, attitudes, sexual behaviours and public
information in Venezuela and Italy: Survey on called up
young people
Annalaura Carducci, G. De Marco, B. Casini, A. Giuntini, F. Mazzoni, E. Rovini,
A. Calamusa. Dip. Biomedicina Universita' Di Pisa Via S. Zeno 35/39 56127
Pisa; Dip. Scienze Archeologiche Univerista' Pisa, Italy
Objectives: To compare AIDS related knowledge, attitudes and sexual behaviours
of Venezuelan and Italian male young people, and to evaluate their relations with
the information given by media and public campaigns.
Methods: A self-compyled anonymous questionnaire was administerd to 1,346
Venezuelan and to 965 Italian called up. It included 35 questions divided into
6 sections: 1) sex, age, area of residence, education level; 2) AIDS information
sources and need; 3) AIDS related knowledge; 4) risk perception; 5) attitudes
towards seropositive subjects; 6) sexual behaviours. The amount of information
given by the media in both population was also evaluated in terms of articles
published on this topic by daily papers. Statistical elaboration was carried out with
uni-and multivariate analysis.
Results: The Venezualan group had a mean age of 19, the Italian one of
18. The majority of both groups has a high education level (59% and 69%,
respectively). The most important sources of AIDS information were family (54%)
for the Venezuelan sample, mass media (54%) for the Italian one, followed in
both population by school (40%) among highly educated subjects. The amount of
AIDS media information was much greater in Italy than in Venezuela. Knowledge
about AIDS resulted strongly related with education level, but lower among the
high educated Venezuelan youth than among the less educated Italian people.
The mean age at the first sexual intercourse was 14.7 and 15.7 respectively
for Venezuelan and Italian sample. Both groups had mostly well known partners
(45 and 52%), but the frequency of multiple partners was higher (60 against
28%) and the one of condom use lower (45 against 80%) for Venezuelan people.
Sexual behaviour and attitudes towards seropositives were significantly related
with AIDS knowledge and this one with sources of information.
Conclusions: The Venezuelan sample resulted less informed and with a higher
frequency of risk behaviours than the Italian one. These differences could derive from the ones observed in the AIDS information spreading by media and
public campaigns, although epidemiologic, social and cultural reasons cannot be
excluded.
359*/43391 Enhancing training capacities through regional
military networking in countries of eastern and
southern Africa
Joyce Chiluba Puta. HIV/AIDSProgramme Coordinator, Zambia Defence and
Security Forces Medical Directorate, PO. Box 31931, Lusaka 320091, Zambia
Issues: Three years of HIV prevention advocacy, policy debate and programme
development in the military/defence establishment of 15 countries in this sub-region has stimulated major policy reform and programme development. Full
implementation calls for new resource allocations and new training efforts. A regional civil-military network and training team have been established to meet this
challenge, and have begun to apply an innovative briefing and training-of-trainer
package in the network
Project: At the third meeting of this group of countries, agreement was reached
to begin work together as a regional network of the Civil-Military Alliance to Combat HIV and AIDS. The experience of the training team of the Zambia Defence
Force was used to establish a programme of training in the network countries and
to train new teams in each country. The network will be self-sustaining in 2 years.
Results: The Zambian HIV/AIDS Prevention Training Team (HIV/AIDS Team
Coordinator/Trainer, STD specialist, chaplain/counsellor, and military lawyer) has
completed three-tier training in all military installations in Zambia, and has completed training-of-trainer missions to Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland,
Mozambique, South Africa and Malawi. Plans for the second year will extend this
effort to Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Uganda.
Lessons Learned: The impact of an inter-disciplinary team conducting three-tier training (at command, medical/nursing staff, and enlisted soldier levels) has
been impressive in Zambia. The validity of this approach has been recognized
by the military hierarchy in the countries visited to date, and teams in several of
these countries have embarked on training tours in their own Defence Forces.
43392 STD and AIDS prevention in the Brazilian Army
Marcelo Idalgo Marques1, J.R.P. Marins1, J. Simplicio Filho1,
F.R. Mendelssohn2, P.N. Chequer1. 1Ministry of Health, Brasilia; Espl.
Ministerios Bloco G. Sala 111 70058-900, Brasilia, DF; 2Ministry of Army,
Brasilia, DF, USA
Issue: In Brazil, each year, around 800,000 young men aged 17 and 18, enlist
in the Army for compulsory military service. Of these, 70,000 join the 140,000
permanent Army Forces. Given their vulnerable age group for sexual transmission of STD and AIDS, and, the opportunity of the military environment to reach

800,000 young men with information and education, it is considered a high priority
contingent for prevention activities.
Project: The objective of this project is to promote the adoption of safe sexual
practices among members of the military community in the Army through access
to information, education and condom distribution. It is a joint initiative of the
Ministry of Health and the Army Forces. Officers are being trained to become
multipliers of information, reaching some 9,000 persons/year. Another 25 pro