Federation to launch new global HIV/AIDS communications campaign

5 October 2004

A new HIV/AIDS communications campaign is to be launched by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Federation) which will complete the "You cannot get AIDS by..." stamps campaign.

"The current campaign was aimed at dispelling the myths about HIV/AIDS, but this new campaign will focus on the truths about HIV," says Felicita Hikuam, manager of the Federation's Global HIV/AIDS Anti Stigma campaign.

Hikuam, who is based at the Federation Secreteriat in Geneva, Switzerland, was in Trinidad for the September 29th signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Federation's Sub Regional Office and the Caribbean Regional Network of People living with HIV/AIDS (CRN+).

The partnership will focus on confronting stigma and discrimination of persons living with HIV/AIDS in Caribbean society. Hikuam also participated in a two-day workshop which followed the partnership launch.

Hikuam said the current stamps campaign was drawing to an end with a lot of work having been done at global, regional and National Society level over the past year. The campaign involves a series of stamps with each stamp graphically showing everyday occurrences from which one cannot acquire AIDS.

Hikuam explained that the new communications pack will contain another series of stamps showing the ways a person can contract HIV - "the truths about HIV" - as well as activities that can be done using the stamps.

The communications pack will also contain ideas for World AIDS Day, and the Federation's work at the International HIV/AIDS Conference 2004, held in mid-July in Bangkok , Thailand.

Hikuam explained that stigma and discrimination must first be tackled internally. For this reason the Federation's information delegates/officers will be invited to participate in a workshop in November being held in conjunction with UNESCO. The aim is to make delegates/officers "competent to write about HIV/AIDS". She hopes that delegates/officers will in turn run similar workshops in their regions for National Societies.

Hikuam added that a best practices publication is being prepared, and that the Federation's online forum will soon be moderated internally.

She explained that the best practices publication provides readers with what "National Societies are doing on the ground.What the community has been saying about the Red Cross and its work with HIV/AIDS."

On the E-forum, Hikuam said it was in a state of transition with the Federation in the process of taking full responsibility of moderating the online discussions. The process should be completed within a year.

The forum, a good form of networking in her opinion, is currently being moderated by Health and Development Networks (HDN) based in Thailand . Some of the topics that have been discussed are home based care for those living with HIV/AIDS, and prevention.

Hikuam hopes that National Societies will get more involved "with members joining and participating actively" and contributing to the global team of moderators being formed.