Program Supplement [International Conference on AIDS (14th: 2002: Barcelona, Spain)]

across southern Africa. Program objectives are to prevent HIV
infection among youth (6-25 years), and to reduce AIDSrelated stigma and discrimination. Paper integrates practices
of Caribbean Youth Peer Education programs, and shows
truncated adaptations made for use in lo Southern Africa
countries. Design methods, training curriculum and material
support are also examined.
Lessons Learned: Red Cross's global network of volunteers
allows continuity and sustainability that is harder for nonindigenous organizations to achieve.
Adaptation is necessary, but can be reduced through local
understanding of the culture.
Technical expertise is critical to this process.
Other factors to success include networking with PLWHA
associations, effective monitoring, games and interaction to
facilitate learning, including community theatre for message
reinforcement.
Recommendations: Continued support for program for at least
5 years.
Replication of tried, tested and proven intervention strategies
to save resources.
Intervention strategies should ensure cultural appropriateness
as project expands to other regions of Africa.
Corresponding author: Scott, Mark, American Red
Cross/International Federation of Red Cross, C/o Malawi Red
Cross, Presidential Way P.O. Box 3oo0096, Lilongwe, Malawi,
Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone],
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
[ LBPP2204
South African youth culture and youth participation in HIV
prevention
Smith, Ann', Mitchell, Claudia' (South Africa; 'Canada)
Issues: Youth worldwide are one of the most vulnerable
populations for risk of infection of HIV. Young women are
particularly at risk. Too often, however, prevention programs
tend to be "about" young people or are "for" young people but
are not developed with young people themselves. Moreover,
such programs often ignore the significance of youth culture.
Description: In this in-depth project (funded by the Canadian
Society for International Health) involving 20 young people
(males and females) from several township schools in the Cape
Town region, the focus was on youth and youth culture. What
messages do they think people their age need to see? What
media are most effective? How might they themselves
participate in creating those messages? How does gender play
into youth culture? These young people encountered hip-hop
artists, graffiti artists, a television producer, young adult
writers, filmmakers and photographers through participating a
series of workshops over a period of several months. At the
same time as they were meeting up with these artists they
were also producing their own creative projects (graphic
novels, photographs, rap poetry, fiction and so on). At the end
of the project, young people evaluated their own "new
knowledge" and potential for behaviour for change.
Lessons learned: The creative process cannot be ignored in
developing prevention programs. Youth culture artists
(hip hop, graffiti and so on) have a powerful role to play in
AIDS prevention. Constructions of masculinity and femininity
can be addressed through youth culture.
Recommendations: There is a need for more youth-focused
programs. Health care workers and educators need to look

beyond conventional forms of message transmission. As much
as possible the media forms needs to be authentic.
Corresponding author: Mitchell, Claudia, Faculty of Education,
3700oo McTavish Street, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1Y2, Canada,
Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone],
Email: [email protected]
[ LBPP2205 1
Mobilizing community resources in combating AIDS in Ghana:
lessons for national policy
Balhara, S, Appoya,_P, Theophillus, A (Ghana)
Issues: With increasing interest among policy makers towards
Mutual Health Organizations (MHOs), there has been an
exponential growth in the literature analyzing different aspects of
MHOs. However, there remains little or no evidence base linking
MHOs to HIV/ AIDS control. This paper assesses performance of
MHOs in terms of AIDS high-risk groups inclusion, AIDS prevention
and Financial protection for treatment. We also draw policy lessons
from Ghana experience for international community.
Description: The study was conducted concurrently with our
consultation work on MHOs for USAID and DANIDA. Over a sixmonth period 12/2001 to 05/2002, we covered 40 MHOs,
representing 90% of all MHOs in Ghana.
Lessons Learned: (i)AIDS High-Risk Groups Inclusion: We
analyze the age-distribution among MHOs members, and
report an inverse relationship of MHO membership with AIDS
risk. MHOs members are either older (>40) or younger (<20)
than people most vulnerable to AIDS (median age = 32). Now,
as MHOs increasingly target youth, their effectiveness in AIDS
control is growing. (ii)AIDS Prevention: Several MHOs(32%)
protect members against STDs, thus preventing spread of
AIDS. CDC reports that individuals with STDs are 2 to 5 times
more likely to acquire HIV if exposed to virus. [Wasserhelt JiN,
1992]. MHOs have also initiated activities like HIV counseling
(42%), condom distribution (5%), Posters (4%). and Dramas
(12%). (iii)Financial Protection: All MHOs provide protection
against Opportunistic infections and several engage in
community counseling to address social needs of PLWA.
Recommendations: The national policy to support MHOs
should focus on (a)Creating an enabling environment to
support MHOs (b)Strengthening capacity of MHOs to provide
HIV counseling (c)Leveraging MHOs to distribute condoms and
awareness materials (d)Monitoring and Disseminating
experiences of MHOs in dealing with AIDS (e)lncentivizing
MHOs to include STDs in benefits package.
Corresponding author: Balhara, Sanjeev, CPHD, PO Box TL 409,
Tamale, Norther Region, Ghana, Tel: [phone],
Fax: [phone], Email: [email protected]
[ LBPP2206 ]
The potential of health micro-insurance in the fight against
HIV/AIDS
Moneti, Francesca (Switzerland)
Issues: What community-based mechanisms can enhance the
capacity of poor families in the informal economy to access
health care and take action to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS?
Evidence is growing that health micro-insurance (HMIS), an
innovative decentralized system of social protection, can play
an important role.
Description: Organized groups such as informal trade, women,
youth and village associations are setting up HMIS at an
increasing rate in the informal economy. The paper explores

Program Supplement