"This review examines polio communication efforts in India and Pakistan between the years 2000 and 2007. It shows how epidemiological, social and behavioural data guide communication strategies that have contributed to increased levels of polio immunity, particularly among underserved and hard-to-re
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ach populations. It illustrates how evidence-based and planned communication strategies – such as sustained media campaigns, intensive community and social mobilization, interpersonal communication and political and national advocacy combined – have contributed to reducing polio incidence in these countries. Findings show that communication strategies have contributed on several levels by: mobilizing social networks and leaders; creating political will; increasing knowledge; ensuring individual and community-level demand; overcoming gender barriers and resistance to vaccination; and reaching out to the poorest and marginalized populations. The review concludes wth observations about the added value of communication strategies in polio eradication efforts and implications for global and local public health communication interventions." (Abstract)
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"The purpose of the current study was to conduct a 10-year systematic review of HIV/AIDS mass communication campaigns focused on sexual behavior, HIV testing, or both (1998-2007) and to compare the results with the last comprehensive review of such campaigns, conducted by Myhre and Flora (2000). A c
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omprehensive search strategy yielded 38 HIV/AIDS campaign evaluation articles published in peer-reviewed journals, representing 34 distinct campaign efforts conducted in 23 countries. The articles were coded on a variety of campaign design and evaluation dimensions by two independent coders. Results indicated that compared with the previous systematic review (1986-1998 period), campaigns increasingly have employed the following strategies: (1) targeted defined audiences developed through audience segmentation procedures; (2) designed campaign themes around behavior change (rather than knowledge change); (3) used behavioral theories; (4) achieved high message exposure; (5) used stronger research designs for outcome evaluation; and (6) included measures of behavior (or behavioral intentions) in outcome assessments. In addition, an examination of 10 campaign efforts that used more rigorous quasi-experimental designs revealed that the majority (8 of 10) demonstrated effects on behavior change or behavioral intentions. Despite these positive developments, most HIV/AIDS campaigns continue to use weak (i.e., preexperimental) outcome evaluation designs. Implications of these results for improved design, implementation, and evaluation of HIV/AIDS campaign efforts are discussed." (Abstract)
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"This book records the communication journey that began in 2002 through important innovations aimed at including segregated and marginalised populations, as well as a very successful mass media campaign featuring cine star Amitabh Bachchan. An important lesson learnt was that for any public health c
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ommunication to be successful, it had to be data driven. At the same time, it was essential for the initiative to generate data to demonstrate its effectiveness. Communication which was once regarded a 'soft science' has now evolved to the extent that it can generate data that is verifiable and drives the intervention further." (Back cover)
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"The objective of this study is to assess HIV and AIDS Radio campaign messages in southern Africa and the impact they have on their target audiences. The countries involved in the study are Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The intention is to document the assessment and share detailed
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tips on how to carry out an effective HIV/AIDS Radio campaign, and to advise respective media users on the most effective way of presenting HIV and AIDS information on radio. The study has been conducted in such a way that it can capture the impact of HIV and AIDS radio campaign messages on people living with HIV and AIDS - the most affected - as well as the general population. This particular report however, pertains only to Zambia and shows how the radio as a source of information is being utilised for the dissemination of HIV and AIDS messages." (Purpose of study, page 1)
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"Internews Network, a U.S.-based organization that for more than two decades has trained journalists around the world, in 2002 received funding from the United States Agency for International Development to launch a project in Africa to help media improve their coverage of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Cal
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led “Local Voices,” the project expanded to Ethiopia in 2005 and India in 2006. In 2004, Internews Europe started a similar project in the Mekong region of Southeast Asia, “Turnaround Time,” with funds from the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development. That project evolved to do trainings in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. This report evaluates Local Voices and Turnaround Time and aims to help strengthen the continuing training programs [...] Both projects had a similar, overarching goal: To increase the quality and quantity of HIV/AIDS coverage, improving the environment for prevention, treatment and care. Although we have no way of assessing whether the projects had an impact on a societal level, over 1000 journalists went through carefully designed workshops, subsequently printing or broadcasting more than 5600 HIV/AIDS-related stories that Internews mentors often helped produce. Journalists clearly benefited from the trainings at each site, and many praised the program for fundamentally altering how they approach their jobs." (Executive summary)
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"In this paper we will be looking at the evidence of impact from interventions in the so-called ‘traditional’ media – TV, radio and, to a much lesser extent, print – and factors contributing to that impact. By ‘media interventions’ we mean using mass-media in support of development objec
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tives and as part of development projects to help bring about behaviour change – for instance, the use of TV/radio spots (also known as PSAs – public service announcements) to promote condom use, or radio programmes to promote better agricultural practices. This should not be confused with so-called ‘media development’, which aims to create independent and professional media, recognising the potential of the media as an important independent agent of social and political change, for example in governance." (Introduction)
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"HEARTLINES is an innovative programme developed by The Mass Media Project in South Africa. The intervention’s purpose is to address South Africa’s social issues, such as HIV and AIDS, crime, violence and the breakdown of family and social structures. HEARTLINES is unique in its approach in that
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it addresses these issues through values – the primary aim of the intervention is to promote reflection on people’s value systems and how these values are lived out in daily life. Over 85% of South Africans adhere to religious beliefs which have clear moral ideals and principles. One explicit strategy of HEARTLINES is to build on this already established authority of religious and spiritual beliefs. Using the authority of FBOs and religious faith, the Mass Media Project aims to promote values, to encourage people to live out their values more fully, and provide tools for this purpose. This evaluation is focused on the first stage of the HEARTLINES intervention. This included two main initiatives, namely, the national broadcast of 8 HEARTLINES films or dramas, with supporting print and below-the-line media components and secondly, the start of social mobilisation of faith-based organisations, where FBOs were provided with relevant tools to teach values and encouraged to undertake discussion-based activities. This first stage of HEARTLINES was evaluated using scientifically rigorous evaluation methods. During the 8 weeks of broadcast, an estimated 26% of the adult population, or 7.3 million adults watched one or more of the HEARTLINES films on television." (Executive summary)
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"[...] This publication, Writing for Our Lives, documents best practices from the Maisha Yetu project, whose defining feature has been continuous in-house mentoring and training on health care reporting in six African media houses over a two-year period. The uninterrupted presence of journalist-trai
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ners (as opposed to the more widespread model of one-time workshops on health care reporting) has allowed for the integration of theory and practice, resulting in dramatic changes in the quantity and quality of reporting on HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. It has created champions of health care journalism in mid- and upper-level management where there was little or none before. It has helped journalists to recognize the centrality of women’s stories in the HIV/AIDS crisis." (Foreword)
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"Die Beiträge dieses Bandes thematisieren Fragen der HIV/Aids-Prävention in Afrika - dem nach wie vor am stärksten von der Pandemie betroffenen Kontinent. Im Zentrum jeglicher Präventionsarbeit steht die Wissensvermittlung mit dem Ziel, Menschen durch Aufklärung und entsprechende Informationen
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zu einer Verhaltensänderung und damit zu einer Aufgabe des gesundheitsgefährdenden Verhaltens zu bewegen. (Wissens-) Kommunikation wird damit zur wichtigsten Säule der Prävention. Hier liegen die Anknüpfungspunkte für die sprach- und kommunikationswissenschaftlichen Untersuchungen dieses Bandes, die Prävention in unterschiedlichen medialen Kontexten analysieren. Demgegenüber heben die sozialwissenschaftlichen Arbeiten stärker auf kulturelle und soziale Aspekte der Prävention und deren kritische Analyse ab. In den meisten Beiträgen des Bandes gerät dabei auch das Aufeinandertreffen lokaler und globaler Einflüsse im subsaharischen Afrika in den Blick." (Klappentext)
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"[This publication] reviews basic theory and concepts underlying the health communication field; offers real-world strategies for designing, implementing, and evaluating programs; provides up-to-date coverage of print, broadcast, digital, and interactive health media. Case examples illustrate what w
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orks and what doesn’t." (Publisher description)
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"This report makes a case for revitalizing investments in communication for immunization. It considers communication in a broad sense, including advocacy, social and community mobilization, and information, education, and communication (IEC) activities. It identifies communication challenges that af
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fect the success of immunization services; offers evidence of the contributions of communication activities; identifies lessons learned, and suggests ways in which communication can continue to strengthen immunization programs. Without well-planned, adequately funded strategic communication, immunization programs fall short of meeting and sustaining coverage goals. Communication is particularly needed to achieve vaccination coverage in hard-toreach populations and to build trust in vaccines among those who question them. Stakeholders also need to advocate for immunization programs to persuade governments, donors, and other actors to support vaccine programs vis-á-vis other health programs and priorities." (Page 2)
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"To develop communication capacity specifically around adverse events following immunisation (AEFI), the UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) and the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia (SEARO) organized a joint regional workshop "Strategic Communication: Building Trust and Responding to
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Adverse Events Following Immunisation in South Asia", in New Delhi from 9 to 10 August 2004. This working paper synthesises the presentations and debates from the workshop." (Foreword)
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"This article describes the evaluation of the HIV/AIDS communication aspect of the multi media Soul City health promotion intervention in South Africa. The intervention consists of a television and radio drama and print material. The evaluation was multifaceted with a before and after national surve
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y and a national qualitative study. In the before and after survey change was measured and then multiple regression analysis was performed to assess the variables associated with the change. The qualitative study consisted of focus group discussions, which were analysed thematically. The studies show that there are numerous instances of community change and how the change is mediated at the community level. The studies also describe the change at a number of levels of the described behaviour change model for individuals." (Abstract)
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"This report provides an overview of immunization communication and describes how to maximize its contribution to immunization programs in developing countries. The discussion and examples focus on communication’s place within immunization planning, activities, and partnerships, based on lessons l
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earned from behavior-centered analyses and programming. A detailed case study of Madagascar’s immunization communication activities is provided as an example of country implementation." (Abstract)
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"The concept of a Regional BCC Network for HIV/AIDS for East, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA) grew out of a common interest and understanding among a number of BCC practitioners dealing with HIV/AIDS in the region that something needed to be done to help address common challenges and needs, impro
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ve strategies, and build capacity in the area of BCC. In October 2001, they formed a BCC Task Force to recommend specific activities for addressing key areas of interest in BCC and for coordinating BCC efforts in the region, including organising a wider regional meeting for initiating a formal regional BCC Network [...] The objectives of the meeting were to: share lessons learned and interventions in BCC in the ECSA region; discuss key current issues and BCC tools for HIV/AIDS; discuss the expansion and operationalisation of the BCC Network for HIV/AIDS; foster linkages among BCC practitioners and those in allied professions in ECSA. The main themes of the meeting agenda highlighted the emerging issues in planning and programming for BCC; developing BCC for care and treatment; addressing stigma; reaching youth; and strengthening research, monitoring, and evaluation of BCC interventions [...] This report is an overview of the proceedings of the meeting and is intended to serve as a resource and learning document for meeting participants as well as for other BCC practitioners in the region. The structure of the report follows that of the meeting agenda and includes a summary of all plenary and concurrent session presentations and all group work discussions." (Executive summary)
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