Abstract

This report is a result of the attachment and study of the HIV/AIDS communication strategies used by National AIDS Council (NAC) to fight HIV/AIDS in Zambia. NAC was established by an act of Parliament in 2002, to coordinate a multisectoral response to HIV and AIDS in the country. Its main role is to coordinate and support the development of the multi sectoral national response for the prevention and combating of the spread of HIV, STI and TB in order to reduce the personal, social and economic impacts of HIV/AIDS, STI and TB.

A primary impediment in the fight against AIDS is lack of information and communication about the disease. Information and communication hold vast potential to hinder the spread of the disease, as key element of all aspects of HIV/AIDS strategies, including prevention, treatment, care and support. They offer potential solutions to misinformation and myths, silence and denial, and stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS.

The study intended to appraise the activities and communication strategies used by NAC to disseminate HIV/AIDS information. The report presents what was found out in terms of the activities and strategies that were used to reach Zambians. It serves as resource showing a number of different communications models and applications in the field. It highlights NAC's emerging convergence in approaches and increasing efforts to build bridges between different types of HIV/AIDS activities, including communication for social and advocacy.

HIV/AIDS is a matter of global concern. The report reveals that effective HIV/AIDS programmes should place emphasis on communication strategies to give future directions for more effective AIDS control programmes. Finally, the report presents recommendations for the future basing on the analysis of the evidence of the research.