Calibre Clinical Consultants has launched a design competition open to creative South Africans to design poster-communication vehicles for HIV/AIDS prevention messaging. According to the organisers, the competition aims to potentially discover, develop and promote design talent in South Africa, and is also an exercise in investigating and conceiving more effective messaging techniques to communicate information on the prevention of, and management of HIV/AIDS.

The fundamental message of every entry must be 'know your status.' Entries must also not reflect negativity in terms of discrimination or fear-instilling messaging, and must display sensitivity to culture, gender and age.

Category winners each receive a R2000 cash prize while an overall winner will be awarded a R10 000 prize. The categories include:

• Employer to employee communication/ workplace programmes.
• Voluntary counselling and testing and the benefits of knowing your status (HIV).
• Specific communication to persons working in the following sectors: mining; transport; healthworkers; manufacturing; students & educators; financial services; and hospitality.
• Mother to child transmission prevention.
• Positive messages on non-discrimination toward people living with HIV.
• Post Exposure Treatment and Prophylaxis to prevent infection after possible exposure to the HI virus.

Interested designers may register for the competition by faxing their name and contact details to 011 783 8222.

The closing date for entries is February 14 2006 and winners will be announced at a function in March 2006.