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HIV prevention communication campaigns workA national survey has found that certain Aids communication campaigns in South Africa have had positive impacts on HIV prevention behaviours, increasing positive attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS and increasing community involvement in response to the epidemic. The survey was conducted by the Johns Hopkins University Centre for Communication Programmes, Health Development Africa representing Khomanani, the Centre for Aids Development, Research and Evaluation - a South African NGO specialised on HIV/AIDS research - and Soul City Institute. The results of the survey were presented to the media on Monday, 6 November 2006, at Rosebank Hotel in Johannesburg by representatives of the abovementioned organisations, namely Dr Lawrence Kincaid and Patrick Coleman of Johns Hopkins Health and Education in South Africa (JHHESA), Saul Johnson (Khomanani), Dr Warren Parker (CADRE) and Dr Sue Goldstein of Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication. The survey - the first of its kind in the world - included more than 8000 respondents nationwide between the age of 15 and 65 years. It started in February and was funded jointly by the South African and US Governments through USAID. The following are its key findings:
"This is the first time a national study has looked in detail at the effects of national AIDS communication interventions, and the most exciting finding is that we are now able to show the separate and combined effects of all the interventions," Dr Kincaid, associate scientist at the US-based Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told the media. Significant impactCADRE director Dr Parker said: "The survey shows that communication programmes have made significant impacts on key areas such as increasing condom use and voluntary testing, but we need to intensify efforts to reduce new HIV infections." However, many observers firmly believe that these efforts have been seriously compromised by political confusion engendered by politicians such as President Thabo Mbeki's lingering doubts over what really causes HIV/AIDS and the ever-controversial Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala Msimang's "beetroot and garlic policies". "Sometimes the lack of political support and leadership confusion result in these efforts being hindered," Dr Goldstein said. "The whole nation should have one voice and work together as partners to pull out every stop to fight this epidemic," she added. While Soul City Institute has spent R100 million in programmes designed to fight HIV/AIDS this year, the Government forked out R98.6 million on its all Khomanani campaign programmes in the past financial year. The South African branch of Johns Hopkins University Health and Education Centre spends at least R40 million every year on Aids programmes. Maximise useApart from Joburg, the research team will also be presenting its findings in Durban and Cape Town to over 450 policymakers, stakeholders and health professionals. "We want to maximise the use of this study, which is the first of its kind in the world," Coleman, MD of JHHESA, said. "These findings provide the basis for expanding and refining programmes to address gaps and to help co-ordinate the efforts of all organisations working in this field." For more information, go to www.journaids.org. About Issa Sikiti da SilvaIssa Sikiti da Silva is a winner of the 2010 SADC Media Awards (print category). He freelances for various media outlets, local and foreign, and has travelled extensively across Africa. His work has been published both in French and English. He used to contribute to Bizcommunity.com as a senior news writer.
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