Missing the Message? 20 Years of Learning from HIV/AIDS

In this 66-page report from Panos, Thomas Scalway asserts that while current international interest, funding and mobilisation for AIDS are creating a unique opportunity to build an effective response to the crisis, few of the lessons of the past are contributing to current approaches.

The report, "Missing the Message? 20 Years of Learning of HIV/AIDS", re-examines the successes and failures of the last 20 years of the global response to AIDS with a particular emphasis on the way in which communication has been used. It reveals that past successes in responding to the epidemic have been characterised not only by strong national leadership but also by open public debate. By analysing what has worked in the past, the report presents a number of principles on how communication can be best used in the response to AIDS.

Thomas Scalway argues, "Getting those people living with HIV/AIDS to participate in any sort of response is vital. What works is when the energy, anger and mobilisation of civil society have been at the forefront of responses. Too little in today's response to AIDS fosters these dynamics."

"While information is vital, past successes in fighting AIDS suggest that approaches need to be far broader than this. A politicised civil society, with communities able to take ownership of the response to HIV/AIDS, can catalyse extraordinary change and mobilisation. Similarly, a media able to support informed, inclusive debate will also be critical to future successes."

"Missing the message?" provides an overview of these issues, and suggests how the problems of HIV Communication can begin to be addressed through work with policymakers, civil society and the media.

The author recommends that communication approaches should move from putting out messages to fostering an environment where the voices of those most affected by the pandemic can be heard. This shift from message to voice marks a fundamental shift in the response to AIDS. While HIV/AIDS information and key health messages remain crucial, it is important to look beyond these messages - no matter how empowering and context-sensitive they might be - and help to develop environments where vibrant and internally derived dialogue can flourish.

"Missing the Message? 20 Years of Learning of HIV/AIDS" outlines three areas requiring more emphasis, thought and attention:

• At policy level, particularly amongst donors, these include longer-term engagement, greater inclusiveness in consultation, more participatory decision-making and greater transparency.
• Within the media, these include the beginnings of a critical reappraisal of media training, and also the importance of working on media structure, legislation and regulation.
• And within civil society, which includes a need to increase emphasis on advocacy, and on more sophisticated relations with the media.

"Little of this will be simple to implement," concludes Scalway, "However, in the midst of another annual world AIDS campaign, and with the threat of the response becoming increasingly 'business as usual', we add our voices to those calling for a critical examination of today's fight against the pandemic."