UKRAINIAN MINISTRY OF HEALTH LAUNCHES NEW MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT HIV/AID

Awareness Messages Developed by Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS (TPAA) Selected for National Television and Radio Broadcast

KYIV, August 8, 2004 – Ukraine’s Ministry of Health and the non-governmental organization Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS (TPAA) today launched an unprecedented nationwide cross-platform and cross-marketing media campaign to combat HIV/AIDS through public service messages (PSAs), television and radio programming, an interactive internet campaign and free telephone and online information resources. The campaign begins today with a first wave of public awareness messages debuting across multiple national television networks, including ICTV, CTB (СТБ), NOVIY Kanal (‘New Сhannel’ «НОВЫЙ» Канал), 3UT 1 (УТ 1), INTER (Інтер), NTN (НТН), and Channel 5 (5 Канал).

The campaign targets the general population with specific messages for youth, parents and opinion elites. The Ministry of Health selected a total of 8 television and 6 radio advertisements produced by Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS for the initial phase of the campaign, which runs through the end of 2005. Additional campaign advertisements will be developed for release in early 2006. The advertising campaign will be complemented by briefings organized by TPAA and the Kaiser Family Foundation for news journalists, editors and producers.

Two of the new television spots put a human face on the AIDS epidemic as a means to confronting the misconceptions and stigma that fuel the spread of HIV/AIDS in this country. The true-life stories of two young people, Sasha and Alec, are revealed in new television advertisements as being “just like many people their age,” including not thinking HIV/AIDS was something that could happen to them … until it did. In separate radio ads, a college student, a businesswoman, an architect, and a psychologist question the impact of HIV/AIDS on their lives, until they are reminded that it doesn’t matter who you are… we are all equal in front of AIDS. All of the advertisements are tagged with the Ministry of Health’s HIV/AIDS website (www.helpme.com.ua) and telephone hotline (8 800 500 45 10) which provide detailed information for those wanting to know more about HIV/AIDS and how to prevent infection.

In the more than two decades since the HIV epidemic began, 60 million people worldwide have become infected; more than 20 million across the globe have died. Knowledge can help stop the spread of this disease. According to UNAIDS and the World Health Organization, as many as two-thirds of the 45 million new HIV infections projected to occur worldwide over the next decade could be averted with more effective prevention and public education efforts.

Ukraine has emerged as a new epicenter in the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, registering one of the world’s highest rates of new infections. At present, there are over 80,000 registered cases of HIV infection in Ukraine, although independent Ukrainian and international experts estimate that between 380,000 and 500,000 Ukrainians may be living with HIV, representing between 1 and 2 percent of the country’s adult population.

Noting the importance of this new campaign, Deputy Minister of Health Victor Rybchuk stated: “The HIV/AIDS epidemic has become a very serious problem for Ukraine, and especially for our young people. Each of us has a responsibility to learn more about this epidemic and take action to prevent the spread of HIV. Public information and education campaigns are essential to raising awareness and educating the Ukrainian people about ways to prevention infection and support people already living with HIV/AIDS. The campaign materials developed by Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS tell the life stories of ordinary people affected by HIV/AIDS and challenge us to learn more about HIV/AIDS. The message is clear – AIDS affects us all.”

“This joint effort represents an important new step of our longer-term and multifaceted partnership with Ukraine’s Ministry of Health,” said John Tedstrom, President of Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS (TPAA). “Today, information represents the only vaccine against HIV, and this bold new initiative will make an important contribution to protecting Ukrainians across the country.”

TPAA’s campaign materials were selected by the Ministry of Health as a result of a competitive tender, conducted within the framework of Ukrainian National Coordination Council (NCC) on HIV/AIDS. Campaign materials – which were originally developed as part of the StopSPID campaign of the Russian Media Partnership to Combat HIV/AIDS and adapted by TPAA in Ukraine – were developed by TPAA in partnership with the Kaiser Family Foundation (www.kff.org), which provides substantive guidance and primary production funds for the campaign, with additional support from Viacom and UNAIDS.

About Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS (TPAA)
Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS (TPAA), is an international non-governmental organization – with offices in Kyiv, Moscow, and New York – that fights HIV/AIDS in Ukraine, Russia and neighboring countries. TPAA raises awareness and builds political will; provides high-quality policy research and analysis; strengthens civil society; forges innovative global partnerships; and, supports policymakers, business executives, and media leaders in their efforts to stem the growing tide of HIV/AIDS in Russia and Ukraine. For more information, visit TPAA online at www.tpaa.net.

# # #