Shaping public opinion and engaging the media in Ukraine
10 May 2006
With the epidemic in Ukraine spreading rapidly and the public seemingly unconcerned, the media are best placed to spread information to the general population about prevention methods and HIV/AIDS testing and treatment, according to Alliance Ukraine. The Alliance has been carrying out educational training for journalists and editors and these sessions are having tangible results.
Media monitoring carried out by the Socium XXI Fund found that the print media had addressed HIV in no more than in 3 per cent of all articles. Yet evidence shows that large numbers of people in Ukraine remain unaware of the threat posed by the epidemic.
In Ukraine, the Alliance creates partnerships with the national media and proactively raises awareness of HIV by staging national events. Alliance Ukraine first held educational training for journalists and non-governmental organisations in 2001 in conjunction with Internews Ukraine. Then from 2004 to 2005 training was conducted with around 80 journalists and editors and 100 non-governmental organisation representatives.
Since 2005, Olexandr Akhmerov, head of the Steps Rehabilitation Centre, has frequently appeared on a TV programme for young people aired live on the Odesa oblast TV and radio company channel in Yuzhnoe town. Guests discuss ‘controversial’ issues, such as safer sex and the social causes and effects of drug dependency.
The telephone hotline operating during the programme has proved an effective means of drawing new clients into drug prevention programmes at the local Youth Development Centre. Since the programme began, the Centre has increased by a third the number of clients turning to the prevention programme for injecting drug users.
“Scaling up HIV awareness of the general public and promoting HIV tolerance cannot be carried out without active engagement of media partners at the national and regional level,” commented Tetyana Bordunis, the head of the judicial department of the All Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS. This Alliance partner is working with the Alliance to support mass information and education events on 21 May (International Candlelight Memorial Day) in more than 40 Ukrainian cities. There is the potential here to reach millions of people – a huge media audience.
Ukraine has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in Eastern Europe, with more than one per cent of the population HIV positive. A study of attitudes towards HIV published by the Alliance in Ukraine in 2005 found that more then half of young people believe that their chances of being infected with HIV are either non-existent or extremely low. Even among injecting drug users, many of whom are HIV positive although often unaware of their status, only 19 per cent think that they are likely to become infected.
