AFRO-NETS> The Drum Beat - 130 - Critical HIV/AIDS Communication perspectives

[Warren Feek <wfeek@comminit.com>]

The Drum Beat - 130 - Critical HIV/AIDS Communication perspectives
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HIV/AIDS is proving a very difficult, almost intractable issue. What 
should be the preferred HIV/AIDS communication strategy? 8 voices 
from different perspectives, experiences and roles in this epidemic 
follow. These contributions were made to the recent VIII Interna-
tional Communication for Development Roundtable - 
http://www.comminit.com/roundtable2/index.html 

Excerpts follow. Please click on the URLs for the full thoughts of 
each contributor.

***

1. Dorothy Onyango - Women Fighting AIDS in Africa 
 
"Communication [of] HIV/AIDS messages has been one of the corner 
stones of prevention strategies in the past two decades. The general 
assumption has been that general knowledge of HIV/AIDS information 
will lead to behavior change. For this reason, IEC has been promoted 
as a simple solution to a difficult problem. This assumption has led 
to unrealistic expectations about the power of communication as a 
critical means to behavior change...why has the information provided 
not translated into the expected behavior? The answer is simply in 
the fact that the messages that people are hearing are not addressing 
their real needs. The majority of the people in Africa are people 
with very little resources and most of these people are first and 
foremost concerned about their basic needs, food, clothing, etc. If I 
do not have food to eat or a shelter, tell me in terms of priority 
where HIV will fall? My first need that I must satisfy is the basic 
essentials to help me survive after which I can maybe assimilate the 
prevention messages...." 

For Dorothy's full analysis and recommendations, access
http://www.comminit.com/stnicroundtable/sld-3859.html
Contact: Dorothy Onyango <wofak@iconnect.co.ke>


2. Amy Bank - Puntos de Encuentro, Nicaragua 

"To keep the [HIV/AIDS] time bomb from going off, the main challenge 
for us communicators in Nicaragua - in terms of prevention - is to 
raise the perception of risk in order to promote safer sexual prac-
tices, thereby lowering actual risk. If people don't perceive risk, 
it's possibly because so many other risks are so much closer to the 
surface: war, informal armed conflict, natural disasters like Hurri-
cane Mitch, getting assaulted in the street, get in a car or bus ac-
cident, die from hemmoragic dengue or a botched abortion or diarrhea. 
In spite of such widespread poverty, the possibility of dying of hun-
ger is a new clear and present danger. And at the moment, teen sui-
cide is more of an epidemic than AIDS." 

For Amy's analysis of the HIV/AIDS context and communication chal-
lenges in Nicaragua and suggested strategies for effective action, 
access
http://www.comminit.com/stnicroundtable/sld-3858.html
Contact: Amy Bank <amy.bank@puntos.org.ni>


3. Jennifer Sibanda - Federation of African Media Women

"Challenges for communication approach/Lessons learnt: Reporting 
positive aspects of the epidemic - reports should not all be gloom 
and doom - how are people living positively with the disease (both 
infected and affected population); How to make HIV/AIDS front page 
news without being sensational; Gender balanced reporting; Local dra-
mas - too much violence and unfaithful relationships; Defining who 
are our role models; Information strategies that go beyond women to 
also include men - women have tended to organise themselves more than 
men and find that they are brought some steps backwards by men."

For Jennifer's complete notes on Challenges/Lessons Learned & Suc-
cesses, access 
http://www.comminit.com/stnicroundtable/sld-3889.html
Contact: Jennifer Sibanda <famwsadc@ecoweb.co.zw>

***

HIV/AIDS Window - http://www.comminit.com/hivaids/
Health Window - http://www.comminit.com/healthcomm/
Immunisation & Vaccines Window - 
http://www.comminit.com/immunisation/

***

4. Sylvie Cohen - UNFPA

Good [HIV/AIDS] advocacy process indicators:

* Beyond policy change: policy implementation for access to reproduc-
  tive health services, economic empowerment; and

* Beyond consensus building: community empowerment to change harmful 
  norms such as GBV, double standards for women and young people sexu-
  ality, and stigmatization of PLWAs

* Measuring the advocacy skills of civil society organizations

* Creating positive cultural milieu such as supportive networks for 
  young people

* Partnering with men as policy-makers, community leaders, sexual 
  partners and RH clients.

* Acknowledging conflict of interests [men accepting to release power 
  and benefits; negative attitudes of providers; property rights; re-
  sistance to the language of rights]

For Sylvie's analysis of challenges, access
http://www.comminit.com/stnicroundtable/previews/sld-3956.html
Contact: Sylvie Cohen <cohen@unfpa.org>


5. Winnie Ssanyu-Sseruma - African HIV Policy Network

"I feel a need to express my frustration about the kinds of questions 
we are still asking ourselves, 20 years into the HIV epidemic! Why 
are there more people infected with HIV around the world more than 
ever before? What is going wrong? Why is prejudice and stigma such a 
big problem? What is wrong with the messages being communicated to 
people about HIV? How come most people living with HIV do not have 
access to care and treatment? Why are resources still hard to come by 
to help solve a problem that the whole world desperately needs an-
swers to?...Some of these responses emphasize the importance of the 
role of HIV positive people in the fight against AIDS. People living 
with HIV give a human face to the virus instead of theorizing about 
it. People do not seem to relate to statistics any longer, but can 
relate to others. However, HIV positive people need to be empowered 
with skills and get paid for the work they do." 

For Winnie's analysis and ideas, access
http://www.comminit.com/stnicroundtable/sld-3900.html
Contact: Winnie Ssanyu-Sseruma <winnie.ss@ukonline.co.uk>

***

Does diversified media ownership always lead to democracy?
Vote in the PULSE POLL - http://www.comminit.com/pulse.html

***

6. Jose Rimon - Johns Hopkins University

Theory Driven Behavior Change Communication - Ideation

* Need to Identify/influence ideational factors related to desired 
  behaviors - e.g. Abstinence; Being faithful to one partner; Consis-
  tent condom use; Delaying sexual debut; Seeking treatment for STIs; 
  Seeking VCT; Preventing MTCT.

* Social legitimization: improving social environment; Breaking the 
  silence; Improving policy environment/strengthening political will; 
  Overcoming stigma; Agenda priority setting; Increasing public under-
  standing of HIV impact.
 
* Social network: Stimulating couple & community discussions; Influ-
  encing community norms; Developing community capacities.

* Social learning/modeling: Modeling individual and collective self-
  efficacy; Modeling health provider behaviors; Scaling up entertain-
  ment education programming.

For more on Jose's conceptual framework, access
http://www.comminit.com/stnicroundtable/sld-3875.html
Contact: Jose Rimon <jrimon@jhuccp.org>


7. Aulora Stally - SAfAIDS 

Advocacy Communication - requirements include: "Focus on evidence-
based stories with more investigative journalism using a variety of 
sources, less sensationalist coverage, headlines, reinforcing nega-
tive stereotypes...Promote open dialogue for plurality of voices - 
men, women, children, orphans and promote real life experiences, 
cover issues such as abortion, child welfare, access to condoms for 
young people and sexuality...Develop a network of journalists and 
eminent persons to contribute to shaping the public perception of 
HIV/AIDS...Journalists should move beyond health reporting and view 
HIV/AIDS as a development issue with wide socio-economic implications 
that reaches far beyond the health sector...Include stakeholders and 
policy makers in the communication process to share and develop 
thinking together..."


For Aulora's full comments, access
http://www.comminit.com/stnicroundtable/sld-3861.html
Contact: Aulora Stally <aulora_stally@hotmail.com>


8. Denise Gray-Felder - The Rockefeller Foundation [and Chair of The 
Communication Initiative Partners Group]

"Challenges, priorities, lessons learned: Communicating in ways and 
using methods that are natural/comfortable for the people, not impos-
ing new - or foreign - ones at the start; Suspending all judgments - 
leaving your values and opinions at home; income generating activi-
ties; Don?t avoid AVOIDANCE - Avoidance is communication as well; 
Listen, respond and act - to community generated ideas, even those 
you think will not work; Focus on reducing donor dependency .. in all 
disciplines, including communication...HIV is a disease of poverty - 
we were naïve to think we could enter a community with a HIV communi-
cation program and not address their life needs - to have in-
come...The role of men - can?t just focus on empowering women, young 
women. We have to change the paradigm before boys reach their sexual 
maturity."

For Denise's complete analysis and suggestions, access
http://www.comminit.com/stnicroundtable/sld-3863.html
Contact: Denise Gray-Felder <DGray-Felder@rockfound.org>

***

The Drum Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for de-
velopment activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement 
or support by The Partners. 

Please send material for The Drum Beat to 
The Editor
Deborah Heimann 
mailto:dheimann@comminit.com

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