Abstract Book Vol. 2 [International Conference on AIDS (14th: 2002: Barcelona, Spain)]

XIV International AIDS Conference

Abstracts ThPeF8002-ThPeF8005 591

46.5% required personal counselling and the street play brought out many attitudinal changes among the target audience.
The street play programme is sustained through community participation and contribution.
The 15 member street theatre troupe function as resource persons to communicate aids prevention messages.
Presenting author: Sivan Arunachalam, 35, Alwarthirunagar annexe, chennai600 087, tamil nadu, India, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail:
[email protected]
ThPeF8002 Mobilising radio for HIV prevention in Africa:
Challenges and opportunities
O.A. Falobi1, P.M. Olufemi-Kayode1, E. Gold2, M. Frohardt2. 1 Journalists
Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria, Media Resource Centre on HIV/AIDS, 42 Ijaye
Road, Ogba, Lagos, Nigeria; 21nternews Network, Washington, DC, United
States
Issue: Across Africa, the radio is the primary communication medium for reaching
to the largest segment of the population. The radio is a constant presence on the
streets, in homes, market places and workplaces. Radio is also cross-cutting in
its penetration, serving divergent populations, languages as well as gender, economic and ethnic affiliations. How can the radio be deployed to mobilize against
HIV/AIDS in Africa?
Description: In 2001, Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria and Internews
Network began a project to research needs and constraints as well as build the
capacity of radio organizations in Africa in coverage of HIV/AIDS. The project
involved focus group discussions with radio reporters and managers in Nigeria,
Kenya and Burkina Faso, site visits and discussions with news and program managers and interviews with groups of PLWHA. The project also included a training
program for radio journalists at the ICASA conference in Burkina Faso that also
provided radio coverage to listeners in Nigeria and Kenya.
Lessons learned: Huge potential exists for mobilizing the radio massively against
AIDS. Findings from the project however revealed a lack of capacity of many radio
stations to provide quality coverage of HIV/AIDS. Many of the stations are handicapped by inadequate or outdated equipment, commercial pressures as well as
low levels of HIV reporting skills among staff. Most radio media interventions on
HIV/AIDS have tended to target reporters only, to the exclusion of station managers and content gatekeepers, with the result that many radio journalists do not
have the requisite skills to advocate for HIV prevention and care.
Recommendations: Radio must be at the core of any long-term media intervention on HIV/AIDS. Such interventions however must address the structural,
organizational and skills capacity of stations and should aim at building long-term
capacities of local partners to ensure sustainability.
Presenting author: Omololu Falobi, Media Resource Centre on HIV/AIDS, 42
ljaye Road, Ogba, Lagos, Nigeria, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone],
E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeF8003 Partners in action - A community-based
reinforcement strategy to support a radio serial
drama for prevention of human immunodeficiency
virus infection in Zimbabwe
S.M. Laver1, L. Gavin', M.E. St. Louis', J.M. Kraft2, N. Harford3, C. Galavotti3.
ICDC-Zimbabwe, CDC-Zimbabwe, P. Box 3340, Harare, Zimbabwe; 2CDC,
Atlanta, United States; 3 CDC, Atlanta, United States
Issues: Ecological theory suggests that behavior change efforts are most likely
to succeed when multiple levels and sectors of society are engaged; yet many
HIV prevention efforts are limited to a single sector/level. The MARCH [Modeling
and Reinforcement to Combat HIV/AIDS] program will address this limitation by
combining radio serial drama with a parallel program of reinforcement activities to
support behavior change at interpersonal, community, and organizational levels.
This intervention targets young adults.
Descriptions: MARCH promotes social norms and behaviors that support HIV
prevention and mitigation through 1) a long-running radio serial drama, and 2)
interpersonal, social, and community activities. It aims to increase young people's confidence in their ability to avoid or change HIV risk behavior, increase
positive outcome expectations, encourage self-risk appraisal, and influence social norms. Partnerships with national organizations and local groups involve a
range of media, interpersonal reinforcement and community mobilization activities to reinforce program goals. These include small print materials, group-based
participatory activities, distribution of wind-up radios, and creation of listening
groups that encourage dialogue and reinforce social norms to promote safer behavior.
Lessons learned: The implementation of MARCH-Zimbabwe requires diverse
organizations partnering to support and reinforce the specific behavior change
goals of HIV prevention and mitigation. Such partners need basic training in be
havior change theory, and a set of tools that can be easily adaptable to the communication style of each organization.
Recommendations: Radio serial dramas for HIV prevention can draw upon partner organizations to support and reinforce through multiple channels the new
social and behavioral norms embedded in the dramas. This MARCH approach
requires a substantial program effort independent of the production of the dramas.

Presenting author: Sue Laver, CDC-Zimbabwe, P.O. Box 3340, Harare, Zimbabwe, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeF8004 Dedicated HIV/AIDS radio program effectively uses
shared experiences to educated, change attitudes
and support
C. Greylingc, A. Warner2. Christian AIDS bureau, 12 Mozart Str, La Pastorale,
Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa; 2 SABC, Cape Town, South Africa
Issues: Many South Africans deny the impact of AIDS, are judgemental or
do not know how to become involved. Fear of stigmatization causes HIV infected/affected people not to have access to support groups, information or treatment options. Radio offers an effective medium to address community views,
change attitudes, and provide essential information. A program format is needed
that is educational, but also challenging and exciting listening to.
Description: Stories of Hope is a fortnightly 45-minute live phone-in program
broadcasted uninterruptedly on a national radio station since January 1999. It is
co-presented by a PWA and a radio personality Using a narrative format, the program gives a face to HIV/AIDS by infected/affected people who share their lives
with listeners. The anonymous character of radio enables people to disclose without fear. Sharing their stories of living with HIV give hope to infected and affected
people in the community who have nowhere to turn to. Every second program
expose the public to people who are making a difference in the AIDS field, such
as caregivers for babies, home based care, community programs, etc to motivate
them to become involved and make a difference. Every third program supplies relevant, up to date information on various AIDS issues, such as treatment options,
vaccines, positive living, etc from credible sources. During the last 15 minutes
listeners can phone-in to ask questions, express views or provide support.
Lessons learned: The format of the program demonstrated that listening to peoples' stories changes listeners' views on HIV and infected people. PWAs and affected members are willing to share their experiences knowing that they can stay
anonymous. The program format is highly appreciated with dedicated listeners
and growing listener numbers - 1999: 80,000 to 120,000 by Oct 2001.
Recommendations: Use PWA as co-presenter. Assure support system for those
who disclose.
Presenting author: Christo Greyling, 12 Mozart Str, La Pastorale, Stellenbosch,
7600, South Africa, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: lofdal
@ mweb.co.za
ThPeF8005I Building alliances with strategic sectors for the
production and for the broadcast free of charge of
campaigns of mass communication in the poorest
region of Brazil
H.H. Nascimento. Gapa-Ba, Salvador - Bahia, Brazil
Issue: The dissemination of the AIDS among the neediest populations in Brazil
has demanded the formulation of strategies to mobilize public opinion and to exert influence in the constitution of new conceptions of sexuality and AIDS among
these groups. The incorporation of the traditional means of communication in the
response to this challenge is strategic, not only in terms of widening the actions
for the dissemination of information but also because the constitution of strategic
aliances with various sectors of society brings them to share the responsibility for
responding to the epidemic.
Description: Gapa-Ba, an NGO/AIDS working in Brazil, has carried out, since
1994, the Program Communication: Strategies for the Prevention of AIDS, which
has produced each year campaigns of mass communication on the topic. Each
campaign is composed of different pieces: for TV, newspapers, radio and billboards, which are run free of charge. The establishment of alliances with the
means of communication make them commited to the promotion of the marketing
of the AIDS cause.
Lessons learned: 12 million persons were reached by each campaign; the production of each campaign cost US$ 20 thousand, whereas governmental campaigns cost over US$ one million; free broadcast of the campaigns on Brazil's
main TV network, Rede Globo, one of the five largest in the world, five times
a day at primetime; running the campaign ads in the largest newspaper in the
North-Northeast of the country, reaching 70 thousand people; campaigns were
broadcast on 04 TV stations, 03 newspapers and 12 radio stations, besides establishing partnerships with billboard companies. In 2000, Gapa-Ba got an award
from the Brazilian Association of Marketing and Business.
Recommendations: Gapa-Ba is interested in sharing the techniques concerning this program with other community organizations, due to its characteristics of
being able to be reproduced, of enabling millions of people to be reached.
Presenting author: Harley Henriques Nascimento, Rua Comendador Gomes
Costa, 39 - Barris, Cep 40070120, Salvador - Bahia, Brazil, Tel.: [phone]
4270, Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]