Effective HIV prevention campaign using Web and mobile technologies:

An experience from BangladeshAuthor: Mohammad Mahabubur Rahman 1Co– Author: Dr. Md. Abdul Waheed 2, Dr. Nizam Uddin Ahmed 1, Dr. Saima Khan 1, Shaikh Masudul Alam 1, Md. Nasir Uddin 1, Shaikh Ali Haider Azam 1, Sanaul Arefin 3, Shakil Jawad Rahim 4 (1-Save the Children USA, Bangladesh Country Office, 2- National AIDS/STD Program, 3- Mattra Foundation, 4- Onecall Solutions)

IssueWeb and mobile technologies are effective channels to raise awareness on HIV prevention in technologically changing Bangladesh.

As a Principal Recipient (PR) of the current Global Fund supported HIV/AIDS program in Bangladesh, Save the Chil-dren is playing a vital role in National Response in coordination with Government of Bangladesh and other NGOs. Bangladesh had received 2 grants on HIV/AIDS from the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Round-2 (2004-2009) and Round-6 (2007-2012). The Round-2 grant focused on prevention of HIV among young people and the Round-6 focused on the most at risk populations (MARPs) and scaling up of the Round-2 activities in-cluding interventions with vulnerable youth from the non-formal education and garment industry sectors, capacity building of the government departments and implementing partners. Based on the satisfactory level of completion of the Round-2 project, Global Fund awarded Bangladesh with an additional 6 year fund termed as “Rolling Continuation Channel (RCC)” for the period from 2009 to 2015, which is consolidated with the Round 6 grant. Through strong public private partnership mechanism, Save the Children USA along with different collaborating stakeholders including self help groups (SHGs) is implementing the project. The grants are contributing to the national responses in accordance with the National Strategic Plan, 2004-2010.Due to the rapid expansion of mobile and web technologies in the country, these are being used as cost effective vehicles for HIV prevention.

HIV/AIDS Program of Save the Children in Bangladesh

Taking the opportunity of rapid expansion of mobile and web technologies in the country, Save the Children USA ex-panded it’s ongoing mass media campaign ‘Bachte Holey Jante Hobey’ (Learn to Live) to the web for disseminating HIV prevention message and to make relevant information resources available to the people through website. Attractively de-signed email content, ad management and link popular activities, attracted and directed internet users from Search engine (Google), Social networking site (Facebook) and popular local news (www.prothom-alo.com) and job sites (www.bdjobs.com) to www.bdnasp.net, the official website of National AIDS/STD Program (NASP). Effective negotiation with Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and all major telecom operators in Bangladesh with the help of NASP had resulted in sending free HIV prevention messages.

Project

SMS with HIV prevention message

Diagram: HIV and AIDS campaign at web in Bangladesh

• 65 million mobile subscribers and 1 million internet users in Bangladesh had been reached with HIV prevention messages • People got HIV Prevention information within their finger tips• Proved as highly cost saving activity that magnified impact of national campaign ‘‘Bachte Holey Jante Hobey’(Learnt to Live) • Websites as a channel of HIV prevention communication is proved effective • Created interest and information demand about HIV prevention among the web community in Bangladesh

Results

Google campaign online report snapshot Facebook campaign online report snapshot

Following the success in campaign, new mobile and web based activities has been planned for HIV prevention- • online HIV resource library • e-Learning for youths• SMS for VCT• e-helpline• The combination of crowd sourcing, crisis mapping and SMS for better health service delivery

Next Steps

Sample email in Bangla (local language)

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by: M

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USA

Traffic from Facebook.com The leading Social Networking website Traffic from BDJobs.com

The leading job portal in Bangladesh

Traffic from Google.com The leading Global Search Engine

www.bdnasp.net The official website of National AIDS/STD Program

Traffic from Prothom-Alo.com The leading newspaper in Bangladesh

• Web and mobile technologies proved as highly cost saving communication channels for HIV prevention • Efficient use of technologies in the program can leverage impact• People are like to get information though web and mobile technologies

Lessons Learned

• Expansion of physical infrastructure for web and mobile services at remote areas requires

more focus, investment and partnership • Web and mobiles equipments and services are expensive for many people considering the poverty status of the country • Education regarding uses and usefulness of web and mobile need to be expanded

ChallengesE-communication using web and mobile technologies can effectively con-tribute to HIV prevention interventions. The govt, donors, UN agencies, INGOs, NGOs and private sector can apply the above mentioned inno-vative web and mobile based tools in HIV and AIDS prevention pro-grams by developing e-projects under public-private partnership which will contribute in HIV prevention information campaign, education, advo-cacy, providing services, epidemic mapping, data analysis and collectively, to halt the epidemic.

Conclusion

Nat ional AIDS/STD ProgrammeDirectorate General of Health Services,Minist ry of Health & Family Welfare

AcknowledgementThe Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, National AIDS/STD Program of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh, Mattra Foundation, Onecall Solutions, Community people of Bangladesh

For more information, contact- HIV/AIDS Sector, Save the Children USA, Bangladesh Country Office Phone: (+880-2) 8828081, 9885651, Fax: (+880-2) 9886372, E-Mail: bdcohivinfo@savechildren.org

information generation for evidence -based strategic directions

Essential services for Injecting Drug Users & Female sex workers

care, support and treatment for PLWHA

Information campaign thru mass, local & print media

Youth friendly health services,

life skill education and accessing

condom

HIV & AIDS information into

national text curriculum

Advocacy & mainstreaming of

HIV/AIDS

HIV prevention and risk reduction at workplace

(garment factories)

Capacity building and coordination

HIV/AIDS Strategies of Save the Children