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 Letter from the editor
The past two months were marked by two important HIV and AIDS events that
hardly received any coverage in the media, which signifies that HIV and AIDS
has become part of our daily lives and that many journalists are fatigued
with HIV and AIDS news. Sunday, May
17 2009 was International Candlelight Memorial Day, a day to commemorate the
lives of those who died of AIDS, but it is also a day to mobilize
communities to deal with HIV and AIDS.
Another
important event for those involved in the HIV and AIDS field is the Southern
African National AIDS conference.
This year’s
conference held from the 31st of March until the 3rd
of May in Durban, was one of the biggest AIDS conferences held in South Africa.
The conference was testimony that despite aids fatigue and political
controversy, there is a massive ground swell of activists, civil society
leaders and organisations, health care and social workers, academics and
scientists. They are not only feeling the burden of the estimated 5.7
million HIV positive South Africans and the nearly 400 000 annual AIDS
related deaths, but they are all still very much fighting the battle against
HIV and AIDS.
In this
edition we look at one of the initiatives that were launched during the SA
AIDS conference. The B the Future cellbook uses cutting-edge technology to
reach the estimated 44 million mobile phone subscribers in South Africa in a unique and
innovative way. Alfred Thutloa, a communications consultant at Metropolitan,
describes this exciting initiative in HIV and AIDS education. Alfred has a
background in magazine journalism and the NGO sector and is currently
studying Intercultural Communication; he is well placed to provide us with
his views on the use of the cellbook in HIV and AIDS education.
The Winter
of Discontent scenario on which we focus on in our Fact File provides us
with a very bleak picture of
South Africa
in 2025. It is shocking to recognize so many of the factors in the South Africa of
today that will drive this scenario going forward. Family Day in April
reminded us again of the importance of a family in the well-being of a
society and nation. We provide you with an extract from Live the Future on
the actions that a family can take to steer towards the Summer for All
People.
Let’s work
towards a Summer for All, the Metropolitan best case scenario for a South Africa in
2025.
Nathea
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B The Future:
A
Business to Community HIV/AIDS initiative
By: Alfred Mautsane
Thutloa
“Imagine the Possibility of an HIV-Free Generation: It
Begins with YOU!” This is the mantra of mainstream messaging
geared towards individual action against HIV and AIDS. In a
drive towards mobilising individuals to take responsibility
for their HIV status, Metropolitan introduced the largest
social initiative thus far
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called B the Future – a comprehensive HIV
and AIDS information booklet downloaded as a cellbook*
to mobile phones. |
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With the advent of communication and information technology (ICT),
mobile technology has emerged as an effective tool to disseminate
information to small target groups or across a wide spectrum of
communities. B the Future leverages on this conducive environment
where more and more people make use of their mobile phones for work
and in their personal capacity. Figures show that about 80% of South
Africans have access to mobile phones and only 12% have access to
the internet. B the Future is projected to reach an astounding 44
million mobile phone users.
Launched at the Fourth Southern African AIDS Conference that took
place on 31 March – 3 April 2009 in Durban, B the Future contains
information that aims to inform, educate and ultimately assist in
the prevention of HIV and AIDS, as well as encourage South Africans
to take action and responsibility for managing their health. The
Conference provided the perfect incubator to introduce the
initiative to various stakeholders in the HIV and AIDS sector,
before it was rolled out to millions of South Africans.
The Conference led under the theme of Scaling Up for Success
“recognises that there is an urgency to take stock of best practices
in treatment and prevention and to scale these up sufficiently to
begin to roll back the onslaught in numbers and impact that the
epidemic is currently waging in Southern Africa,” says Professor
Linda-Gail Bekker, Conference Chairperson. B the Future is an
initiative with the potential for broach reach and impact, and it
certainly deserved an audience at the Conference.
You can B the Future
How? B the Future is a resource with basic information on HIV and
AIDS that will allow you or your employees to access HIV and AIDS
information on your phone, easily and privately. The service is
manned by Cellbook, a dynamic company that provides book publishers
with the solutions to effortlessly reach billions of mobile users.
It is supported by a call centre (076 245 9459 or
support@cellbook.co.za) and only requires mobile phone users to
simply SMS the word HIV to 32907. With this
R1 SMS, users receive an
HIV and AIDS cellbook with information on:
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HIV prevention and testing
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Counselling and support
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How to live positively with HIV
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Support services (where can I get help?)
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Frequently Asked Questions
All of this information is written in simple
English and difficult terms are explained in brackets. Once
downloaded onto a mobile phone, B the Future is always available
with or without a signal (mobile phone reception), and there is no
airtime or WAP or GPRS access (internet access) required once it has
been downloaded. To curtail any problems that can arise because of
the amount of data on the cellbook, the information has been
compressed to below 300kb for quick and easy access on a mobile
phone. “At only R1 per sms, it is affordable and takes less time
than it would to download a ringtone. Just sms the word HIV to 32907
and you’ll get back everything you need to know about HIV and Aids,”
says Bertus Preller, marketing executive for Cellbook.
B the Future is available to anyone who is interested in finding out
more about HIV and AIDS for their own information or in order to
support and counsel a friend or a colleague. B the Future is also
the ideal information tool for peer educators who need basic
information about HIV and AIDS in an easily accessible form. For
further information about the content of the cellbook, you can
contact: livethefuture@metropolitan.co.za
Terms and Conditions
Vodacom, MTN Cell C & Virgin Mobile: Cellbook R1 once-off
WAP & GPRS to be enabled for downloading
Cellbook requires colour phone with GPRS/3G
* A cellbook is an information booklet that has been configured into
digital format for mobile phone utilisation to distribute data
Alfred Mautsane Thutloa is a marketing and communication consultant for
Metropolitan. His background is rooted in magazine journalism, where he
worked for the popular lifestyle magazine Top Billing, and a subsidiary of
Men’s Health, Best Life magazine. Before joining the Metropolitan AIDS Risk
Consulting unit, he worked for a multinational NGO focused on HIV/AIDS and
PMTCT. Alfred holds a B.A. degree in International Studies, and a
postgraduate BPhil degree in Cultures. He is currently completing an MPhil
in Intercultural Communication.
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Disclaimer
Copyright subsists in all materials in this publication. You may use the information and print or reproduce materials from this publication only for your own non-commercial personal use.
The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of Metropolitan. As always we encourage responses on any of these issues covered.
Metropolitan takes every possible care and effort to ensure that the information supplied is as accurate and current as possible. However, Metropolitan does not assume any liability and will not in any way whatsoever be held responsible for any liability arising from the use of any information, calculators and advice supplied in this eNewsletter.
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In this issue
Live the Future fact file
What does the future look like in the “Winter of Discontent” scenario?
In winter the world seems bleak and hopeless, nothing grows, and life retreats.
So too, in this scenario. The economy is stagnant, and social circumstances are
depressed.
Key characteristics
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Weak self-serving leadership
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Few partnerships
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Focus on blame, stigma and conspiracy
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No behaviour change: drugs, sexual violence, gender inequality
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Contradictory beliefs about HIV and AIDS
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High crime
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AIDS response: fake cures, corrupt systems
Under a Winter of Discontent South Africans are focusing on apportioning
blame for the unabated effects of the HIV and AIDS epidemic on
South Africa. Stigma, denialism and conspiracy
theories are the order of the day in the absence of a strong integrated response
to HIV and AIDS.
Business response is limited under this low growth scenario and labour is
regarded as dispensable.
Awareness of HIV is low with only one in five of South Africans knowing their
HIV status by 2010. A high level of gender inequality and sexual violence still
exist and criminal activity exploits these weaknesses in society.
The Winter scenario society experiences negative economic growth and low
social collaboration. The large proportion of unskilled labour increases
unemployment and skilled labour remains in short supply. The market shrinks with
most expenditure focused on basic goods and security.
The estimated HIV prevalence rate amongst the ages 20 to 64 will remain high at
18%. A total of 786 000 South Africans will be in the final stages of the
disease and in need of antiretroviral treatment. AIDS deaths per annum will be a
high 445 000.
Extract from: Metropolitan Holdings Ltd (June 2006).
Live the Future – A Model to Respond to the
Challenges of HIV and Aids in South Africa
on www.livethefuture.co.za
What
family level action does the Live the Future project suggest to prevent HIV
infection?
Action for All
Family
members to provide guidance to one another to help them
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Make sound decisions about relationships and sexual intercourse,
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Deal with pressure for unwanted sex, drug or alcohol use,
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Recognize a situation that might turn risky or violent,
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To
ask for help and support if they have had unprotected sex or have been
sexually assaulted so that they can access prophylaxis medication,
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Know how to negotiate protected sex when ready for sexual relationships,
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Know how to negotiate sexually coercive situations and avoid circumstances
such as transactional sexual relationships,
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Know how to negotiate safe cultural norms and practices such as
circumcision.
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Educate one another by sharing information about
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How to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT),
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HIV testing,
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Where to access male or female condoms,
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Where to access other contraceptives,
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Adhering to universal precautions in the home,
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Vaccine and microbicide research taking place in the community.
Challenge
In
some cultures, discussion around sex and sexuality are taboo and are seen to
encourage sexual behaviour.
Some
parents or family members may not feel equipped to provide the support and
information that their children may need.
Some
children may not want to talk to their parents about these matters, as they are
embarrassed.
Parents may deny that their children may be involved in sexual relationships and
therefore do not believe that they have to discuss issues of HIV and AIDS.
In
some instances, there could be domestic abuse, including sexual abuse, within
families in the community.
Survivors of sexual abuse may not report abuse, for fear of revenge by the
perpetrator and his/her family.
Survivors of sexual abuse may not know what channels to follow in laying a
formal complaint.
Alcohol and drug abuse within families may create many problems including,
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Domestic abuse
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Poor care of dependants
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Few resources to pay for necessities
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Creating risk of HIV infection if abuser is having unprotected sex
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Creating risk of HIV infection if abuser is sharing needles.
Extract from: Metropolitan Holdings Ltd (June 2006).
Live the Future – A Model to Respond to the
Challenges of HIV and Aids in South Africa
on www.livethefuture.co.za
HIV and AIDS Vital Statistics for South Africa in 2009
| AIDS deaths per day | 1000 |
| New HIV infections per day | 1400 |
| People living with HIV | 5,7 million |
| Total AIDS deaths | 380 000 |
| Total new HIV infections | 501 000 |
| Total AIDS sick | 676 000* |
| Adults with AIDS, not on ART |
470 000 |
| Children with AIDS, not on ART | 26 000 |
| Adults on ART |
583 000 |
| Children on ART |
69 000 |
*Note: This includes people who have
not started ART and those who have started ART, but have since
discontinued treatment.
Source: Metropolitan AIDS Risk
Consulting from ASSA 2003 (Full) AIDS and Demographic model
Contact info:
Published by
Metropolitan Holdings
Editorial Board
Tersia Mdunge
(021) 940 6121
tmdunge@metropolitan.co.za
Nathea Nicolay
(021) 917 3090
nnicolay@metropolitan.co.za
Nosipiwo Ngxabazi
(021) 940 5150
nngxabazi@metropolitan.co.za
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