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AV DRUM 21 helps fight HIV/AIDS in Tanzania
Tanzania is one of the countries hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, it is estimated that since the early 1980's about 600,000 men, women and children have developed HIV/AIDS, and about 2 million people have been infected with the virus. HIV/AIDS has now become the primary cause of death among adults in the country and is decimating the most productive age group leaving behind misery, suffering and poverty.
Over the last ten years TACAIDS has provided strategic leadership in coordinating and strengthening the efforts of all stakeholders involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In Tanzania the rate of increase if new infection is coming under control but TACAIDS still has plenty of work to do. So it's vital to maintain awareness about the risks and to sensitise people on how the impact of the disease can be minimised.
AgriVisual has been working closely with TACAIDS to help them strengthen their Behaviour Change Communications effort, a key component of which is to promote community awareness on how the epidemic can be turned back. A great way to put HIV/AIDS in its social and cultural context is by holding regular public events to get all sections of the community thinking about how they behave sexually. So with this in mind, TACAIDS ordered 22 AV DRUM 21 vehicles - one for each administrative district in Tanzania. By early 2009 a second batch of 11 vehicles had been delivered to Dar es Salaam. After a national launch at the National Parliament in Dodoma, TACAIDS district staff were trained by AgriVisual and the vehicles were put into action. Now the sound of AV DRUM 21 can be heard in all corners of the country.
AV DRUM 21 is an ideal tool for TACAIDS, as not only can it attract large crowds to watch videos about HIV/AIDS but it also has equipment that encourages interactive involvement with the crowd. The easy to use PA system, radio microphones, video and digital cameras are all being used to encourage community involvement. TACAIDS believes that "Educational programmes should involve interactive features that are more powerful than information alone. It should be participatory, and use explicit approaches - such as role playing, as these will be more likely to effect change". AV DRUM 21 readily lends itself to community participation, as every time a vehicle arrives it creates quite a stir. Bringing people out on the streets, gets people talking openly about HIV/AIDS rather than whispering behind closed doors.
Changing behaviours and societal norms is difficult work. There are no magic solutions. Implementing an effective behaviour change program is complicated, resource-intensive and time-consuming, but AgriVisual is now helping TACAIDS tackle this immense task.