Start date: 2001
End date: 2007
Media types: TV
Issue: health
Country: India
Family members used to get up and walk away whenever HIV and AIDS messages appeared on TV... but not any more... Now we all sit and watch and listen.
Audience feedback
The goal of the campaign was to reduce the rate of HIV infection by supporting the Government of India's efforts to increase knowledge and change behaviour around HIV and AIDS.
Specifically, the campaign aimed to increase accurate knowledge of how HIV is transmitted and prevented, and how to support and care for people living with HIV.
It also aimed to encourage open discussion of sexual health issues, as well as reduce stigmatisation and discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS.
"Family members used to get up and walk away whenever HIV and AIDS messages appeared on TV... but not any more... Now we all sit and watch and listen."
Jasoos Vijay - an HIV positive detective
Jasoos Vijay ('Detective Vijay') was an award-winning thriller series about an HIV-positive detective. The programme communicated key messages about HIV and AIDS. In the last series alone, it reached more than 70 million people across India. More
Haath se Haath Milaa - reality TV show
The final series of Haath se Haath Milaa ('Let's Join Hands') reached over 50 million people in India. This weekly television programme featured Bollywood stars joining hands with HIV and AIDS activists to raise awareness about HIV. More
Public service advertisements
Eleven public service advertisements (PSAs) were produced to promote condom use, voluntary testing of HIV and challenge stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV.
An estimated 115 million people saw the PSAs, which included a 10-second animated condom and two 'clay animation' PSAs to promote condoms and HIV testing. Watch a video clip of the PSA [MAKE LINK]
The Hindi PSAs were dubbed into seven other Indian languages (Tamil, Telegu, Malayalam, Bengali, Gujarati, Oriya, Assamese) and telecast on regional channels.
Research and impact
Extensive qualitative and quantitative research was carried out to measure the reach and impact of our HIV mass media campaign in India. More
Working in partnershipThe mass media campaign was developed in partnership with the Government of India's National AIDS Control Programme (NACO) and public broadcaster, Doordarshan.
Training
The project included training government and NGOs in using media and communication to change behaviour.
We convened training workshops for representatives of the government's State AIDS Control Societies as well as for NGOs, the media and networks of positive people from the four states of Nagaland, Mizoram, Mehgalaya and Manipur. The aim was to train them how to develop mass media content with HIV and AIDS messages for their states.
Doordarshan producers were trained in television production by the BBC in the UK.
Capacity building also included helping the Gujarat State AIDS Control Organisation to assess the information needs of the general population of Gujarat. The aim was to build their research skills so that they could use the analysis of audience profiles to inform the development of mass media communications strategies.
Spreading the word
Working in collaboration with HIV and AIDS experts in India, we designed and produced 25,000 information booklets on sexual health. The booklets were sent, free of cost, to anyone who wrote into the programme requesting more information.
Awards
Series one of Jasoos Vijay won the 'Thriller Programme of the Year' award at the Indian Telly Awards. Series two was awarded the Indian Telly Award for Best Public Service Programme.
Series one of Haath se Haath Milaa won the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association UNICEF Award. Series two won awards at the Indian Telly Awards and the Asia Media Summit.
Chunnilal, the public service advertisement that used an animated condom to promote safe sex, won a bronze medal at the International Animation Film Festival and was "highly commended" in the Best Animation category at the Asian Television Awards.
