Prevention Revolution

Fri, 03/25/2011 - 09:10

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Launched on October 26 2010 by UNAIDS: The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, this initiative draws on the use of social networking - Twitter and Facebook - to revitalise interest in HIV prevention in the lead-up to World AIDS Day (December 1) 2010. The aim is to inspire and encourage people using social media to know more about HIV prevention, as well as to make the keyword (or hashtag, as it is known on Twitter) #PreventionRevolution trend on Twitter in as many places as possible on December 1 2010.

Communication Strategies

For six consecutive Tuesdays, UNAIDS is introducing a series of themes related to HIV prevention via discussions on Facebook, Twitter, and AIDSspace and through YouTube clips, interactive polls, and quizzes. For example, participants are asked to lend their Facebook status for a day, copying and pasting text ("Everyday more than 7,000 people are infected with HIV worldwide.") to their Facebook status to communicate the prevention messages to their friends. As part of the initiative, five animated films have been developed as conversation starters; one of them may be viewed below.

The following quotation speaks to the inspiration of this campaign's strategy: "HIV spreads through networks, but networks are also the best defense when people are informed and empowered to protect themselves," said Michael Bartos Chief of Prevention, Risk and Social Vulnerability with UNAIDS. "Using social media is a natural progression for UNAIDS' goal of raising awareness and bring[ing] about progressive social change." Prevention Revolution is designed to reinforce the work of High Level Commission of HIV Prevention, whose stated aim is to bring about a prevention revolution. Many of the commissionaires are already using social media to raise awareness about HIV prevention.

To find out more visit UNAIDS on Facebook.

Development Issues

HIV/AIDS.