Health
Health action with informed and engaged societies
Health
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Published 24 years ago
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Healthy Highways Project - India

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This campaign for STD/HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention aimed at truck drivers, a group especially vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, makes effective use of credible and identifiable role models in overlapping multi-media channels.
Communication Strategies

Interpersonal, stand-alone and take away media materials have been created for truckers, their assistants, their sexual partners and families, employers and sex workers. These include: flip charts, mobile photo exhibitions, posters, condom fliers, audio tapes, booklets, etc. Story-based communication has been used in all appropriate media. The role model (Ustaad) has been created to address messages to all truck drivers. He is like-able, macho and funny and speaks to the target group as a friend/elder brother, giving them tips and advising them on behaviour through his example. His loyal helper (Vijay) is young and mischievous and looks up to Ustaad for guidance. Through the travels and experiences of these two, we come to understand the important issues of HIV/AIDS and STD prevention.
Development Issues

HIV/AIDS.
Key Points

All materials have been pre-tested among the target groups and relevant changes have been incorporated in the materials. Materials will be ready to launch by end May 1999. Outreach workers will be trained in communication skills and ways to use the materials.
Partners



National AIDS Control Organisation, Government of India, and the British Commission Health and Population Office, Department of International Development (DFID). SOMAC: Lintas has developed the communication strategy and entire range of behaviour change materials for the project, which is being implemented by over 35 NGOs across the country working directly with the target groups.

Sources

Case description from Nirupama Sarma to The Communication Initiative.