SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA TECHNOLOGY WITH IT
HEALTH COMMUNICATION
AMT 403
ACM/00102/022
ANN KEMUMA TAMBOKI
Behaviour Change Communication is a strategic , interactive process that uses communication to
influence knowledge, attitudes and behavior for positive health and social outcomes through formative
research, planning, implementation,and evaluation to create supportive environment where positive
behaviour can be initiated and sustained using IEC materials such as posters.
Objectives
To increase awareness and correct misconceptions about HIV transmission, promoting supportive
attitudes , reducing stigma and discrimination within the community.
To promote safe sex by encouraging consistent condom use .
Behaviour to be changed
HIV stigma and discrimination- correcting myths that HIV spreads through hugging, shaking hands,
sharing food ,seats and toilets
Low male participation in HIV prevention
Unsafe sex practices
Poor adherence to HIV medication
How to communicate the change
Clarifying myths and misconceptions that HIV can not be spread through casual contact, correct wrong
beliefs , reduce stigma and encourage acceptance
Branding logos Ministry of health to communicate trustworthiness, reliability and official guidance as
people are more likely to change behavior when the source is credible.
Use of visuals -Use of familiar images such as condom in the pocket encouraging carrying protection,
holding hands reduces stigma and red ribbon for HIV awareness.
Emotional appeal - encouraging men to stand and be counted in the fight against HIV through testing.
Provide a reason -taking ARVs on time keeps your viral load low and protects your health.
Use of local language and youth slang -' form ni kujipin na condoms before mechi' making the behaviour
feel normal among young people increasing adoption of condom use.
Educate on factual information that the HIV victims should maintain hour of taking ARVs.
Using IEC materials ; posters,which are culturally appropriate with simple language that is easy to
understand and placing the posters in halllways and clinics where they are easily accessible.
KAP survey ( knowledge, attitude, practices)
Knowledge involves what the target audience knows and beliefs about HIV
Knowledge gap
Limited knowledge on condom effectiveness,some believed condoms reduce pleasure.
Poor knowledge about ARVs adherence as respondents never knew missing doses increases viral load .
HIV transmission,many never knew it is not transmitted through hugging, shaking hands , sharing
utensils, toilets.
Attitudes how the audience feels about HIV
Stigma and fear of touching, hugging a person with HIV and the belief that they should be isolated
Practices
Unsafe sex behaviours
Poor health seeking behaviors ,low HIV testing for men , irregular ARVs intake and inconsistent clinic
visits
Baseline Survey to know the level of knowledge
Are people using condoms?
Do they understand HIV transmission?
Do they stigmatize people living with HIV?
Do they know how to take ARVs correctly?
Multidisciplinary team
Public health experts that will provide scientific accuracy about HIV transmission, prevention,trends and
risks.
Community representatives that will give feedback if the posters are relatable and point out cultural
sensitiveness
Government health agencies - approve the message, support distribution of posters, provide logos ,
branding and campaign themes.
HIV counsellors - encourage testing,safe practices ensuring tne message matches what is taught in
counseling centers.
Communication and health promotion specialists - decide on motivational , educational and supportive
tone and ensure the posters are culturally appropriate for the target audience
Graphics designer - layout, color and images to be used on the posters.
Key messages
People living with HIV should maintain the hour of taking ARVs
Men should stand to be counted to fight against HIV
Promote condom use
Myths and misconceptions about HIV
Use simple and culturally appropriate language that is insensitive to the community
Proper layout,font size and appealing colours for the posters
Pre-testing the messages
Use of focus groups engaging health professionals ,community members who will give feedback on
clarity ,tone , cultural appropriateness it's impact and effectiveness before mass production.
Key Informant interviews that involves HIV counsellors,educators, public health officers communication
specialists to review messages .
Usability checks;observers note whether people could spot main messages.
Refining the messages
Language adjustments , visual clarity,tone modification, layout providing clear statements about myths
and misconceptions of HIV, after pre-test results, technical approves from health government
authorities, graphic designers ,health specialists and stalkholder reviewers
Post-testing
Behavior observation' short term' checking if there was increased interest in HIV testing centers , follow
up surveys ,expert reviews to get final approval with policy guidelines.
Designing and production of the posters
Produce culturally appropriate posters and print with a proper layout, color ,font size ,use of images,
government and ministry of health logos to add credibility, local language , cultural symbols - red ribbon.
Distribution and Dissemination -place them in Schools , health centers ,notice boards community spaces
in digital version on social media .
Monitoring and evaluation stage
The communication team reviews how well the posters are performing after distribution. They check
whether the posters are reaching the intended audience, being displayed in the right places, and
understood as intended.
They also assess the audience’s response whether knowledge has improved, misconceptions have
reduced, and behaviours such as condom use or ARV adherence are changing. This stage helps
determine the effectiveness of the posters and provides feedback that can be used to improve future
HIV awareness materials.
Budget for graphic designing, printing, monitoring ,evaluation and dissemination of the posters
References
Gobind, J., & Ukpere, W. I. (2014). The use of posters in disseminating HIV/AIDS awareness information
within higher education institutions. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences.
Tergas, L. P. (2004). HIV and AIDS Awareness and Education Poster Project: A study in participatory
graphic design. In Proceedings of the Participatory Design Conference.