From the Executive Summary
"HIV infections were first reported in Ethiopia in 1984. HIV/AIDS prevalence remained low in the 1980s but sharply accelerated through the 1990s, rising from an estimated 3.2% in the 15-49 age group in 1993 to 10.63% by the end of 1999, with similar increases in various population subgroups, making Ethiopia the sixteenth in HIV prevalence.

In response to the massively growing epidemic various behavioral interventions have been implemented. Many of such interventions carried out have not yielded the intended outcome as well as the impact in reduction of HIV incidence and prevalence. In the international literature the use of behavior change models for such interventions is widely cited, and moreover, their usefulness as well drawbacks are largely reported. Most of these theories and models are targeting individual behaviors. The continued use of these “individual based intervention methods” is not allowing organizations and institutions to make head way in the combat of HIV/AIDS.

The generic Communication Framework originally developed by UNAIDS/PENN State University in the USA, consist of five inter-related contextual domains, namely the policy, the socio-economic, the gender, the culture and spirituality. These were identified with the aim of developing future communication strategies for HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care and Support in the respective countries adopting them.

The development of the National HIV/AIDS Communication Framework represents the opportunity to address Individual behavior change within the contexts affecting the life of the individual. Hence, recent research and the results of Consultative meetings showed that the use of this communication framework will imply a better coordinated and guided implementation of HIV/AIDS programs in Ethiopia.

In Ethiopia, communication materials (including print, audio and otherwise) are not produced in a coordinated manner. There is a great lack of communication among the various organizations disseminating such materials as well as a lack of common standard to follow. Thus, the added-value and benefits of this Communication framework will be to offer means to have Quality of Standards in terms of the communication materials as well as aligning communication organizations and their respective programs to shared goals. This is necessary for Ethiopia's ability to have effective communication on HIV/AIDS intervention programs as well as other interventions.

The main goal of this communication framework is to reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and provide appropriate care and support to the infected and affected through comprehensive communication programs. The general objective is to provide a comprehensive contextual, societal as well as personal behavior related information to serve as a tool for the development of a communication guideline in different scopes and levels.

The HIV/AIDS Communication Framework involves a broad range of IEC/BCC and advocacy activities and a variety of communication channels and approaches. It also calls for the active participation of a number of actors and stakeholders both at federal, regional and grass root levels. Therefore, the overall coordination for the implementation of the framework will be the responsibility of the National HIV/AIDS Council secretariat. PACT Ethiopia will be responsible for planning key roles in the implementation of the framework, development of the guidelines including follow up research in-order to refine the framework. The Ministry of Health will be the key collaborating institution during implementation process due to its special mandate in the development of health promotion and owning health infrastructures at the federal and regional levels. Relevant government and non-government organizations at all levels will be active actors in the implementation.

The communication framework addresses major issues in HIV/AIDS, their implications, desired outcome, advocacy and BCC objectives, audience, message, channels of communication indicators for measuring success and possible partners for implementation. It is believed that only by addressing the issues that affect the individual's ability to achieve change can the goal of reducing HIV/AIDS transmission be achieved in Ethiopia. It is expected that following the development of this Framework, the respective regional and woreda level operating agencies will formulate HIV/AIDS communication guidelines for their implementation."

Click here to read the full framework paper online.