National Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Communication Campaign

The campaign aims to raise awareness of ART services and encourage HIV positive people to attend the clinics for counselling and assessment. One element of the campaign is the creation of radio and television announcements featuring people on ART and ART service providers, including Rose Alinda, a person living with HIV/AIDS who is featured on the campaign posters, radio and television announcements.

The programme organisers believe that an important component to the success of the campaign would be the integration of a coordinated, strategic communication campaign linked directly to ART service delivery. It conducted consultations in a number of regions in Kenya with people living with HIV/AIDS, community and faith-based organisations caring for and supporting people living with the virus, as well as clinicians involved in counselling and administration of ART.

Other aspects of the communication campaign included a stakeholder and media advocacy programme to brief key influencers on the campaign objectives and encourage a range of integrated communication activities during the campaign intervention. “The early consultation and involvement of provincial stakeholders and media partners in the planning and implementation of the ART communication strategy ensured that the correct information is provided to the public.”

HIV/AIDS

Findings from the communication strategy needs assessment identified a number of barriers to ART uptake. This included the cost of the drugs and ongoing treatment, negative and severe side-effects, adherence issues due to the pill burden resulting from multiple-dose therapies and other treatments to combat side-effects, and a general lack of information and knowledge, especially in rural areas, on what ART is, where ARVs can be obtained, and who is eligible for the programme. Despite these impediments to ART uptake, a number of benefits were identified including;

• improvements in the quality of life,
• prolonged life,
• a reduction in opportunistic infections,
• better body image,
• greater strength,
• increased productivity,
• reduction in HIV/AIDS stigma
• re-assimilation of HIV positive people into the community.

Although there were some reservations on the quality of health provider services, many survey respondents saw doctors and appropriately trained counsellors, health workers, their peers and others who were on ARVs as the most trusted sources of information on ART.

Another need identified by service providers and programme beneficiaries was for accurate information and communication support materials. The provision of resources such as pamphlets, posters, wall charts, and audio visual materials, as well as culturally specific programmes and communication materials were suggested, in order to dispel the myths surrounding ART, and provide a more enabling environment for ART counselling and support.

“The needs assessment showed that a major challenge of the ART communication strategy is the need to change the current public perception of ART, which focuses on drug provision, to one that more actively promotes early health seeking behaviour and accessing the continuum of care, currently being promoted through the establishment of Comprehensive Care Centres (CCCs), around the country.”