Time to Live Telethon

Summarising the first results

On December 1, Channel 1 broadcast a live charity telethon devoted to World AIDS Day. The telethon had an audience of 25 million viewers.

The telethon was planned and organised by Vladimir Pozner and a group of Russian and international HIV/AIDS service organisations operating in Russia, namely AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW),  FOCUS-Media, Internews, IMC Consulting Limited and Population Services International.

The organisers were aiming to raise awareness among Russian people about the serious problem of Russia’s HIV epidemic – underlining that today HIV is no longer only a cause for concern for ‘risk groups’, but can affect everyone, so everyone can and must contribute to the solution.

The telethon was unique, in that for the first time the floor was shared by politicians, medical specialists, representatives of non-profit organisations, sports and show business stars, and also people living with HIV/AIDS, who spoke openly about their status.

The broadcast included a talk show with Vladimir Pozner and Tutta Larsen and a concert by Russian musicians. During the talk show, the presenters tried to debunk myths about the routes of transmission of HIV, and attract attention to issues such as the lack of action by the Russian authorities towards HIV/AIDS, cuts in the funding of prevention programmes, discrimination towards people living with HIV/AIDS, abuse of their human rights, lack of access to potentially life-saving treatment, and the difficult living conditions of children refused by their HIV-positive mothers.

Having become acquainted with the list of issues to be raised during the talk show, prominent political decision makers such as German Gref, Alexei Kudrin and Mikhail Zurabov for various reasons refused to participate. Chief State Doctor Gennady Onischenko and Head of the Duma Health Protection Committee Tatiana Yakovleva did find the time to come to the live broadcast, however, and weathered the tornado of questions and accusations towards the authorities.

On the same day, December 1, in the Luzhniki Sports Palace, the Russian musicians Vladimir Kuzmin, Valery Syutkin, and the groups Mummi Troll, Aria, Chaif, Chizh, Tantsy Minus, Moralny Kodex, Voskresenie, Sankt Peterburg and We Will Rock You performed in front of an audience of 6000 people. Funds from ticket sales will be put towards buying medicines to treat children born to HIV-positive mothers.

It is necessary to express deep gratitude to all those who supported the telethon – UNICEF, the European Commission, Alfa Bank, Severstal Group, Unilever, IREX, Chevron Texaco, Vimm-Bill-Dann, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, TNT Express, Beiersdorf, Lighthouse Business Management Russia BV, Organon, and Schibo CIS.

Also we would like to note the strong informational support provided by Russian Radio and MTV-Russia.

Special gratitude should also be paid to UN agencies such as UNAIDS, UNDP and UNODC whose support cannot be overestimated. It is also necessary to thank Bertil Lindblad, the UNAIDS Representative in the Russian Federation, who wrote a support letter that helped to raise the additional funds needed to conduct the telethon.

The TV programme is Over but the Charitable Marathon continues!  

Alfa Bank supported the event and will provide the transfer of funds from individuals to AFEW’s charitable account during December. All the necessary information is available by calling the 24-hour Alfa Bank hotline: 777 32 52 in Moscow, and 8 800 200 0000 from other Russian regions. The calls are free.

In accordance with AFEW activities conducted as part of the GLOBUS Project under the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, AFEW will use the funds raised to purchase antiretroviral treatment which will reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

AFEW is planning to provide regular updates on the total amount raised by the marathon. A more detailed report on the event will also be produced in due course and will be provided to all interested parties.