Mass Media HIV/AIDS Project - [Zaire] Democratic Republic of the Congo

Campaign Objective:

To motivate safer sexual practices among youth between ages 12 and 19, and prospective parents ages 20-30, by influencing social norms through the mass media.

Description:

Population Services International (PSI) launched its first AIDS prevention social marketing program in Zaire in late 1987. At that time 300,000 condoms were being used a year in that country; by 1991, PSI was marketing over 18 million Prudence condoms annually. PSI combined this marketing effort with a highly successful generic mass media campaign targeting primarily young people and using television, radio, song, print, school books, posters, and special events. By the end of 1990, Zaire's 13 million urban residents were receiving an average of 10 minutes a day of televised AIDS messages. An independent evaluation of this program concluded that in 1991, PSI averted 7,200 cases of HIV in Zaire.

Location:

Zaire

Dates:

1988-1991 Project Cost:

$3 million

Agencies Involved:

Population Services International (PSI)
Zaire National AIDS Program

Media Used:

Main Campaign (Urban)

• 5 television spots, translated into Zaire's 5 national languages, regarding myths about HIV transmission, aired an average of once daily over nine months
• Second series of 4 television spots, translated into 3 languages, regarding the realities of AIDS
• 9 radio spots based on the television spots, aired an average of once daily over nine months
• 8 popular songs, most guaranteed daily airtime on national and regional radio stations
• World AIDS Day Concert, 12/1/90, broadcast nationally
• 5 music videos broadcast on television on a rotating schedule
• 1 cassette tape of the AIDS songs distributed nationally to organizations active in AIDS prevention for use in community campaigns
• 4-part drama mini-series for radio and television, broadcast during prime-time twice in its entirety in 12 months
• Standard student notebooks prefaced with 5 pages of "AIDS myths and realities," distributed through school and commercial stationery outlets
• 3 1991 calendars, each featuring comics
  

Regional Campaign (Rural)
The following radio products were developed and broadcast by regional radio stations in over 13 local languages:

• 28 feature programs about AIDS
• 22 spots relaying AIDS messages
• 8 radio dramas about AIDS and safer sexual behavior
• 2 songs about AIDS
• 5 AIDS-knowledge radio contests