Project Document

Description of situation in beneficiary countries: This is a regional project that seeks to address the problem of information and communication on HIV/AIDS in the Eastern and Southern African region, and includes - Burundi and Rwanda in the Great Lakes; Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia in the Horn of Africa; Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in the East African Community; Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe; and finally Seychelles, Madagascar, Comoros, and Mauritius in the South West Indian Ocean.

The spread and prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Eastern and Southern Africa is the highest in the world and it continues to grow exponentially. However in most African communities within and outside these regions, open discussion of the subject of HIV/AIDS and its proper coverage by the mass media have continued to be inhibited mainly due to cultural and social taboos and stigma. Consequently, the quantity and quality of media output on HIV/AIDS falls far below the level required for its potential impact in the fight against the pandemic. This situation has been found to be similar in all the countries of the region.

Problems to be addressed: The present situation. To enable the media realize their potential as an effective tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS, a deliberate program of demystification of, sensitisation to and enlightenment on the subject of HIV/AIDS needs to be directed to media professionals and managers. The project seeks to improve the quality and increase the quantity of information and communication material that is available to the media to facilitate public access and consumption.

Relevance of the project's expected results to the project's objectives: In Uganda, the reduction of the extension and prevalence of HIV/AIDS has been drastically reduced thanks to a combined campaign of awareness, and the establishment of AIDS support groups. Likewise, the de-stigmatisation of people living with AIDS through media and social campaigns have proved to be essential to reversing the situation. It is expected that this synergy between the media and the public throughout Eastern & Southern Africa will set the conditions for a substantive reduction of the extension and prevalence, and remove the stigma and problems which are linked, and which are mainly the result of ignorance on the why of the epidemic. The media in turn requires an increased availability of disaggregated and pertinent information on HIV/AIDS to increase their impact on awareness and provide their readership and audience with culturally relevant information to enhance public awareness and mobilisation.

Target Beneficiaries: The general public, journalists and other media professionals in the region whose knowledge of HIV/AIDS issues will be improved. Healthcare professionals and other social workers will also benefit from networking with media professionals for structured dissemination of their messages.

Project Strategy and Implementation Arrangements: A three-pronged strategy is proposed - The increased level of understanding of media & media professionals of HIV/AIDS; The networking of media and media professionals throughout East Africa and beyond, to exchange journalistic materials and best practices; and the setting up of a Resource Centre and Databases (in collaboration with all UN Agencies, regional and national media and health networks, NGOs and CBOs ), with an Internet Portal dedicated to providing socially, culturally and politically relevant information on HIV/AIDS.

The project overarching purpose is to vigorously reduce HIV/AIDS extension and prevalence in the Eastern and Southern African region; to improve the quality of life of people living with AIDS; and to remove the stigma associated with the disease. These objectives can only be attained through an increased level of understanding of HIV/AIDS among journalists and media professionals. Therefore, UNESCO's immediate and medium-term objectives are:

a. To develop awareness among media professionals in the region on the socially and culturally sensitive approaches to dealing with the subject of HIV/AIDS.

b. To enhance the quality and quantity of information and communication materials on HIV/AIDS for journalists, publishers, media owners and training institutions in the region.

c. To develop a core of high level journalists and other media professionals to produce communication materials and programs in the printed and electronic press for general consumption and advocacy.

d. Enhance the exchange of “Best Practice” in information and communication in the region.

e. To enhance media program impact monitoring and evaluation for the orientation and design of media interventions according to specific socio-cultural and geographic characteristics of the target population.

The project seeks to tackle the HIV/AIDS pandemic through a communication and social development methodology that emphasizes the use of information and communication technologies within the social and cultural context of the region. The following resources will be required for the successful implementation of the project.

a. Human Resources: A multi-disciplinary team of health professionals, social workers, communication specialists and ICT professionals to collect and package information and communication materials for journalists and other media professionals as well as media personnel specialized in HIV/AIDS issues working in media houses in the region.

b. Communication and Information Resources: ICT/Media production and duplication facilities for the creation and reproduction of generic and specialized journalistic materials as well as radio programmes for the region and a network of media outlets for the dissemination of professional media messages for public access.

c. Training Resources: Regional training facilities for inter-disciplinary training and orientation for journalists and other media professionals. International training of trainers in HIV/AIDS and investigative journalism. Cross-cultural training and international exchange of knowledge and experiences through workshops, exchange programs and attachments. National sensitising workshops.

a. Organization of training, sensitisation and orientation workshops for various classes of stakeholders in the region.

b. Development and production of training models to address issue and geographically specific material.

c. Setting up of a network of media institutions that will produce and disseminate culturally sensitive information and communication on HIV/AIDS.

d. Setting up of a media resource unit (clearing house) for material on HIV/AIDS for regional syndication.

e. Development and maintenance of intra-regional, inter-regional and continental exchange networks for collaborative action on HIV/AIDS.

f. Production and dissemination of information and communication material on HIV/AIDS through the creation of specialised databases in the countries with a participatory model .

g. Adaptation, translation and duplication of information and communication material on HIV/AIDS across languages, print, electronic and new ICT media including the establishment and maintenance of websites and interactive databases for public access.

h. Setting up of a monitoring and evaluation database for impact analysis and feedback generation for all stakeholders;

i . Monitoring and evaluation of project outputs to provide inputs for further development.

a. Increased public awareness and knowledge of issues of HIV/AIDS in the region.

b. Improved public attitudes to issues of HIV/AIDS and towards people living with HIV/AIDS.

c. Increase in the socially and culturally correct coverage of HIV/AIDS issues in the mass media operating in the region.

d. Increase the quality and quantity of stories on HIV/AIDS issues in the mass media.

e. Increase in the number of radio and television programs produced and broadcast on HIV/AIDS for public consumption.

f. Enhancement of dynamic link ages among stakeholders in the global struggle against HIV/AIDS.

g. Development of support groups on HIV/AIDS for people living with AIDS with a view to eradicating the stigma attached to the epidemic.

Objective	Activity	Expected output
1. Develop awareness among media professionals in the region on the correct approaches to dealing with the subject of HIV/AIDS.	Sensitisation and orientation of key decision makers in the print and electronic media of the region on issues of HIV/AIDS and current knowledge and perspectives on the pandemic. Partners: UNAIDS Working group (UNESCO, UNDP, UNICEF, ILO, WHO, UNFPA & WB), specialised NGOs, media professional Associations and training institutions at the regional and national levels	1. Regional workshop for print editors and broadcast program and news managers on current knowledge and perspectives on HIV/AIDS. 2. Regional strategy for media action against HIV/AIDS
3 . Regional workshop for print editors and broadcast program and news managers on current knowledge and perspectives on HIV/AIDS. 4 . Regional strategy for media action against HIV/AIDS
5 . Regional and national strategy documents translated into the main regional and national languages.

2. Enhance the quality and quantity of information and communication materials on HIV/AIDS for journalists, publishers, media owners and training institutions in the region	Research and documentation of generic IEC materials on HIV/AIDS for regional distribution Establishment of mechanism for distribution of IEC materials through traditional media and new ICTs. Partners: UNESCO, UNAIDS, international, regional and national associations of media practitioners and professionals, specialised NGOs and training institutions in Eastern Africa	Creation of a regional resource centre for journalists on HIV/AIDS.
Organization of regional and national training workshops for journalists and producers on HIV/AIDS.
3.Setting up and development of an interactive project Website with up-to-date IEC material on HIV/AIDS
4. Creation and development of specialized national databases and Management Information Systems
3. Develop a core of high-level journalists and other media professionals to produce information and communication materials in the printed and electronic media for general consumption and advocacy.	Identification of national groups involved in the production and dissemination of information through media Production of journalistic materials for the printed and electronic media. Setting up of regional and national centres of excellence for production of IEC materials on HIV/AIDS. Partners: UNESCO, UNAIDS, international, regional and national associations of media practitioners and professionals, private and public media, specialised NGOs and training institutions in Eastern Africa	1. Production of specialised articles and programmes on HIV/AIDS from national correspondents
2. On-line editing and production of information materials for the Website
3. Production of syndicated articles and programs at the regional level

4. Enhance the exchange of “Best Practices” in information and communication in the region through the creation of specialised databases in the countries with a participatory model.

National and regional review of IEC materials for identification and dissemination of best practices in the region.

Regional and national incentives for best practices in media work on HIV/AIDS

Partners: UNESCO, UNAIDS, National & Regional Media Associations, Business Community

1. Quarterly meetings of regional and national review teams for examination of media performance

2. Creation of a depository for outstanding media output for intra-regional and intra-regional exchange

3. Establishment of national and regional media awards for outstanding work in HIV/AIDS IEC

5. Enhance media monitoring and evaluation for feedback to be used in the design of media interventions according to socio-cultural and geographic characteristics of the region

Monitoring and evaluation of media output for feedback on a users and gratifications approach model.

Content and impact analysis for feed forward into subsequent production of further IEC material on HIV/AIDS.

Partners: UNESCO, UNAIDS, Media research institutions e.g. Journalism & Communication departments of universities in the region, audience research companies.

1. Set up monitoring teams and provide terms of reference for monitoring of media output on HIV/AIDS.

2. Carry out audience KAP surveys and content analysis of media output on HIV/AIDS.

3. Produce an annual monitoring and evaluation report of regional and national media output and impact of IEC material on HIV/AIDS.

Project Title:

Eastern and Southern Africa Media Strategy against HIV/AIDS

Objective

Activity

Expected output