Community REACH HIV/AIDS

Duration: April 2005 - June 2007
Donors: USAID

In 2005 Pact Mongolia commenced implementation of an HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention program funded via Community REACH.

The project had three main components - sub grant activities, an educational television series and media training. Mongolia has a recorded low prevalence of reported HIV cases, though an extremely high rate of sexually transmitted and opportunistic diseases associated with HIV. Rapid development of transport routes that traverse Mongolia from Russia and China, and improving access to testing facilities are likely to see a rise in diagnosed cases. Mongolia has an opportunity to minimize the spread of HIV through poverty alleviation, awareness raising and livelihood initiatives.

Pact Mongolia worked in conjunction with the National AIDS Foundation www.naf.org.mn to develop three community based organizations, via sub grant mechanisms, that work with most at risk populations. These organizations continue to work with the National AIDS Foundation in their prevention and awareness activities. Pact produced a twenty-six part television drama in the soap opera / edutainment genre. Called ‘Living under the Same Sun’, the series broke new informatics ground in Mongolia where issues of HIV transmission, sexual orientation and discriminatory attitudes had not previously been dealt with in the mass media.

Over 200 000 Mongolians watched the program that was broadcast by popular request, on four TV channels. The program continues to be requested by television stations. Some viewers' statements:

‘I got information about HIV/AIDS, and learned how HIV/AIDS and STIs can and can’t be contracted.’
‘ My friend with HIV is still my friend.’
‘People living with HIV are productive, functioning members of society who can live long, productive lives.’
‘I learnt about the lives of people living with HIV, the problems they face, their rights, their social, emotional and medical needs and how to provide moral support.’

Pact Mongolia conducted a knowledge, attitude and practice baseline survey under its Community REACH project. Five hundred and twelve individuals from areas across the country took part in the survey. Results brought to light a number of human rights related issues. Seventy-eight percent of respondents agreed that 'the government should force those that are suspected of being HIV positive to get tested', with nearly one third concuring that 'the details of those that are HIV positive should be published so that these people can be avoided.' Over half the respondents agreed with the statements 'Those that are HIV positive should not be allowed to have children', and that 'If an HIV positive woman falls pregnant, she should be forced to have an abortion'.

Societal discrimination perpetuated by media
Drilling down in the discrimination area, Pact, the Mongolian Red Cross Society www.redcross.mn and the Mongolian Confederation of Journalist Associations ran a series of workshops on HIV and Ethical Journalism. These were delivered to print media editors, radio and television journalists, rural stringers and journalism students. Three radio programs exploring HIV and stigma were also created and broadcast nationwide. A curriculum has been compiled and distributed to partners and local organizations.

Some key results of the program:

• 477 most at risk people were referred to STI and HIV counseling and testing through sub-grant activities
• Establishment of a phone-in hotline service focusing on male sexual health - 781 calls received in total
• 280 stakeholders involved in HIV/AIDS prevention trainings
• Increased access to voluntary counseling and testing for those most at risk through the purchase of 2 centrifuges
• 1374 female sex workers and outreach workers were with HIV prevention and safe sex education
• Living Under the Same Sun broadcast for a total of 67.1 hours, or 4,030 minutes, of broadcast nationwide as well as on three additional local television stations, with more requests coming in
• Conservative estimation of audience numbers - 200 000 people -- approximately 12% of the total population aged 15 and over
• Four training events in HIV ethics and reporting for a total of 40 print media editors and electronic journalists
• Three radio programs exploring stigma and HIV in Mongolia were produced
• One curriculum for HIV ethics and reporting was created and distributed