The campaign focuses on the issues of the abstinence, being faithful, condom use for vulnerable youth and voluntary HIV counseling and testing. The Center for Communication Programs (CCP) developed the materials and is implementing the campaign in collaboration with the Ministry of the Fight against AIDS, the Ministry of Education and REPMASCI, a network of media professionals against AIDS and is funded by The President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Campaign activities will run through to November 30 2007, in Abidjan and four other cities across the country. In addition to radio and TV spots, local NGOs are helping roll out the community outreach component. Campaign materials, such as radio programmes with discussion guides for youth groups, posters, and brochures, are available for use by religious organisations working with young people, school groups and other youth community groups.

The project uses mass media and community outreach/interpersonal communication, including the following strategies.

• A mini-poster, billboard, TV spot and 5-mn radio infomercial on condom use portrays a couple with a message "For sex, speak the same language - use a condom to avoid AIDS" According to the organisers, this message was created as a response to baseline research findings that showed that girls who propose condoms were considered of low moral value and even as prostitutes.
• Another mini-poster, billboard, TV spot and 5-mn radio infomercial on abstinence portrays a couple with a message "sex can wait- abstinence is the safest way to avoid AIDS" The message was in response to baseline research findings, where boys think that abstinence was not realistic and that girls who practice abstinence were not cool and can't keep their boyfriends.
• Along with being broadcast, all the radio infomercials target use in youth group discussions through youth associations, youth clubs, and youth-serving community based organisations. A print colour photo novella discussing three themes: abstinence, condom use and HIV testing were distributed to youth through the community networks. The mini-posters, the photo novella, and promotional items such as T-shirts, and key chains were used as prizes in youth contests, and other youth games and activities organised by youth groups, youth-serving community-based organisations and local radio stations.

According to the organisers, the strategies employ edutainment in their approach including use of the scripts for live drama, the photo novella, and the television spots. The project team made a point to use actual young Ivorians' typical language to make sure the materials would be appealing, appropriate for the general youth population and fit within the youth culture in Côte d'Ivoire.

HIV/AIDS, Reproductive Health.

The organisers decided to launch this campaigns because the found that the HIV prevalence rate in Côte d'Ivoire has reached a worrisome threshold (4.7% among sexually actives - 15-49 year olds) in Côte d'Ivoire (CF HIV indicators survey, 2005), with a women-to-men infection ratio of 2.2, suggesting a feminisation of the epidemic in the country. Young women particularly, are at increasing risk of contracting the virus.

CCP looked at the social and gender norms that are detrimental to HIV prevention practices among youth. The baseline research revealed that 78% of young men and women consider that women should tolerate violence in the couple, and both young men and women think it is ok for men to have multiple partners, while both young men and women disapprove of girls carrying condoms. Although 54% of young women and 47% of young men are sexually active, less than 50% of them used a condom at last sex. Finally, only 12% of youth surveyed ever had an HIV test.

CCP is a leader in the field of strategic, evidence-based, communication programmes for behaviour change to save lives, improve health and enhance well-being in communities around the world. The Center is part of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. CCP’s approach is to work with local and international partners to address the causes, preventions, treatments, and management of health risks by influencing the public’s knowledge of and response to personal health. CCP works responsively and proactively on the world’s most pressing health concerns such as HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, malaria, Avian and Pandemic Influenza, safe water, nutrition, and infectious and chronic diseases.