AFEW Projects  

2nd Mass Media Campaign for Solidarity with PLWHA Russian Federation

Project Duration:
January 2006 – July 2006

Donors:
This campaign is being implemented under the GLOBUS Project (Global Effort Against HIV/AIDS in Russia, 2004–2009) with the financial support of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (www.theglobalfund.org).

Partners:
Campaign is implemented by the FOCUS-MEDIA Foundation (www.focus-media.ru) with the consultancy help of AFEW

Regions:
Russian Federation: Tver, Vologda, Kazan, Krasnoyarsk, Tomsk, St. Petersburg, Buryatiya, Orenburg, Nizhniy Novgorod, Pskov

Background:

The HIV/AIDS situation in Russia is critical, and the number of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) continues to grow. According to the Federal AIDS Centre, as of 31 December 2005, Russia had 331 599 officially registered cases of HIV. Until now, society’s attitude towards PLWHA in Russia has been tainted by prejudice and non-acceptance. This reaction can be attributed to the fact that in the early stages of the epidemic’s development, it spread mostly among groups traditionally associated with risky behaviour (i.e. injecting drug users, sex workers and men who have sex with men). The stigmatisation of PLWHA actually fuels the development of the epidemic, as it makes men and women unreceptive to calls to be more responsible in their sexual behaviour (i.e. using condoms). Stigmatisation also reduces the efficacy of prevention, treatment, care and support programmes for PLWHA.

Today’s situation differs from the early stages of the epidemic’s development as HIV is now spreading into the general population. The proportion of people contracting the virus through sexual contact has been on the rise since 2002. In some regions of Russia (Moscow, Tver, Krasnoyarsk, etc.) more than 50% of new cases are the result of unprotected sexual intercourse. The number of young people with HIV has also been increasing, and in certain regions the number of newly infected women exceeds the number of infected men.

The statistics speak for themselves: HIV/AIDS is a serious social problem in Russia, and its multifaceted nature constantly forces new issues onto the agenda. At the top of the list are: providing access to antiretroviral therapy, guaranteeing PLWHA equal rights and opportunities, and combating discrimination and stigmatisation. Russians must stay calm and humane and recognise that there is a new reality, one in which PLWHA are an integral part of society.

FOCUS-MEDIA Foundation and AFEW are members of a consortium of non-governmental organisations implementing the GLOBUS Project. The goal of this five-year project is to stimulate an effective national strategy on combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Russia. The project’s activities are based on an integrated, multi-sector approach.

Overall Objective:

Encourage tolerance towards PLWHA in society and reduce stigmatisation by increasing knowledge about HIV/AIDS among the general public, and by promoting the formation/advancement of high ethical behavioural standards with respect to PLWHA.

Target Audiences:

The campaign aims to reach a wide spectrum of the general population in the 10 regions covered by the GLOBUS Project, as well as PLWHA, journalists, doctors and medical specialists.

Specific Objectives:

Increasing Knowledge:

• Eliminate misconceptions that HIV can be transmitted through saliva, insect bites, dishes or handshakes.

• Raise awareness that condoms are the most reliable, convenient and safe means of protection against HIV, STIs and unwanted pregnancy.

• Improve knowledge about contemporary therapy that can turn HIV into a chronic disease and can provide HIV-positive parents with the opportunity of bearing healthy children.

Changing Attitudes:

• Raise awareness among the general population that HIV/AIDS poses a medical, social, political and economic threat to society, thereby affecting everyone.

• Reduce the stigmatisation of PLWHA.

Shaping Behaviour:

• Promote high ethical social standards of solidarity with PLWHA, especially in their immediate social surroundings.

• Reduce discriminatory behaviours towards PLWHA.

For further information, please contact:

Tanja Grechukhina
Senior Programme Advisor, Media Campaigns Project
Email: tanja_grechukhina@afew.org

Alyona Pravidlo
Project Manager, Media Campaigns Project, Russian Federation and Mongolia
Email: alyona_pravidlo@afew.org

Office Address:
V. Krasnoselskaya St. 32/3, 2nd floor
Moscow 107140 Russian Federation
Tel:    + 7 495 7392695
Fax:    + 7 495 7392695
Website:  http://www.afew.org

International Postal Address:
AFEW
P. O. Box 75752
1070 AT Amsterdam
The Netherlands