TANSACS works on the globally accepted premises that increased awareness leads to a change in behaviour. IEC section also designs and implements awareness program in reducing the stigma and discrimination. The section also works with Blood Safety & SBTC to promote Voluntary Blood Donation among Youth through RRC. TANSACS' Information, Education and Communication (IEC) programme is designed to create awareness and influence individual behaviour that protects people against HIV infection.
IEC activities in Tamil Nadu have been formulated, taking into consideration the diverse cultural, linguistic and social backgrounds of different communities across the state. |
| Objectives |
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To create awareness on RTI/STI/HIV/AIDS among various sections of the people, including those in high-risk categories, vulnerable groups, General population. |
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To provide accurate information on HIV/AIDS and dispel myths and misconceptions. |
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To create a supportive environment and generate demand for quality health services. |
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To promote behavior change for prevention of new infections. |
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To promote community involvement in care and support of People Living with HIV-AIDS (PLHA). |
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| Major Activities in Tamil Nadu |
Communication strategy: A consortium of all stakeholders in the state has been formed and common state-specific, target-group wise communication strategy has been developed. A consensus has been arrived at to develop one thematic subject by identified stakeholders, who will develop creative content for print media and supply content for the entire state in order to support all on-going interventions. This has assisted in avoiding duplication, standardization of messages and material, avoiding wastage of resources and ensuring uniformity in delivering messages in the state. |
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Materials produced: A set of seven TI material and 41 ART material developed by partners and TANSACS were replicated and produced by TANSACS with due credits to the partners. This has been distributed to TANSACS and partner NGOs. |
State Information Centre developed and established in TANSACS office in Chennai at a total cost of Rs.25 lakh. All the IEC material produced by all stake-holders have been made available under one roof at this centre. All visitors can access this centre. |
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| Campaigns |
School & College Students regularly visit this centre and they are oriented on HIV/AIDS and Voluntary Blood Donation issue. |
| Mid-media Campaign on PPTCT |
A mid-media campaign on PPTCT was organized for 50 days in 10 high- prevalence districts, where a total 600 cultural programmes were undertaken with the participation of 12 cultural teams and 12 IEC and ICTC vans. IPC activities, wall writings, screening of films, group discussions, distribution of IEC materials were the other activities of the campaign. As many as a 1,000 IPC/IEC units of material was distributed through the IEC intervention, reaching about 2 lakh people. A pre- and post-campaign study was done which proved that IPC and street theatre were effective tools of communication in rural areas. |
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Dillu Dura Campaign: State-level communication campaign (SLCC) initiated – Mass media, out- door and district-level mid-media campaigns were used across the selected high- prevalence districts. Mid-media activities such as street plays, IPC, mobile vans, screening of video films and using IEC material have been covered under the SLCC. etc. APAC has joined hands with TANSACS to conduct a state-level communication campaign. Mass media tools such as television, radio, cinema theatres and newspapers are also used to disseminate knowledge on risk perception. CfAR, TAI and PSI are the other partner organizations who were involved in the various campaigns. |
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Red Ribbon Express: While the Dillu Dura campaign continued, the Red ribbon Express visited the state, halting at 10 stations. Compared to the first phase of the RRE campaign, public response to the second RRE was greater. In almost all the station, good strategy for crowd mobilization, pre-publicity, involvement of district administrations and a lot of innovations led to the success of the RRE campaign. As many as 212,219 people visited the train and 506,096 people were reached through the RRE’s out-reach activities such as cultural programmes in the villages through mobile vans and distribution of IEC material. |
| Red Ribbon Express campaign - Organized at Chennai |
It was presented as a mega event with about 75,000 people visiting the train. About a lakh people were reached out through Out-Reach initiatives such as Mobile van and cultural programmes and Mega LCD screens in the railway station and prominent places. |
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| Mass media campaign achievements |
State-level campaigns used public and private media. Door Darshan and the AIR were both used throughout the year to bring out spots (spot stories/broadcast space) on risk perception, ICTC, ART and stigma and discrimination while TANSACS worked with the public media the partners reached through private media. |
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Radio jingles and celebrity messages – total 81 spots/day for 90 days, 30 dedicated branded programs
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TV spots by celebrities – 90 spots
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On World AIDS Day, special campaign was done on Universal Access and Human Rights
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20 exhibitions in medical colleges, other colleges on occasions like Independence Day and Anti-drug Day, college cultural programmes, inauguration of RRC and village festivals were the highlights of Mass Media, Outdoor media activities. |
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Although budget allocation was not available for awareness programme through ‘Digital Cinema Theatres’, this has been used as a key tool, especially in rural areas.
Media consultations were held in 7 districts, in collaboration with CfAR, and this created a good will and interest among media persons at the district-level and their doubts were clarified and helped them write as informed persons. About 300 Newspaper coverages have been compiled by CFAR. |
| Adolescence Education Programme (AEP) |
| Total no. of Government Schools |
Total number of schools covered during 2009-10 |
| 9,870 |
9,870 |
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| Stakeholders and Beneficiaries Trained |
| No of Stakeholders and Beneficiaries Trained (DTERT Prof & Trainers) |
771 |
| Teachers Trained |
39,480 |
| IX and XII Std students reached |
1,637,621 |
| Total Reach |
1,678,643 |
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Out-of- School Youth Programme – TANSACS is working in 4 districts in coordination with the State Resource Centre, Chennai. An exclusive module for OSY has been developed. District -level committees have been formed in all the OSY-initiated districts. A district nodal officer has been nominated by every district collector for OSY (PAPD / JD / DD- Health). All the 4 district counsellors and coordinators of continuing-education programme have been trained. A training module “Ilavattam’’ has been prepared. |
| Red Ribbon Clubs (RRC) in colleges -Physical Achievements: |
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No of RRC’s in the State - 1,008 programmes
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No of programme conducted in Colleges-1972 programmes
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No. of students reached – Male - 1,41,870, Female – 1,09,941, Total - 2,51,811
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TANSACS impart ‘Celebrating Life’ module, interactive session with Positive speaker, TG, Counsellors, Competitions etc. through RRCs in Colleges. |
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Training Women / Self-Help Group Women - In the year 2009-10, TANSACS continued SHG training, utilizing the carry-over fund available with TNVRC. As many as 1.35 million women members of SHGs were trained in 14 districts. The end-line evaluation – Phase II of SHG Programme has been completed. To be noted in this programme is that referrals to ICTC are very high and many women attribute this increase to the training which motivates them to come to the ICTC to clarify their doubts. |
| Districts covered under Self Help Group Programme |
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| Mainstreaming with of multi-sectoral departments |
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Training of police personnel - HIV initiatives mainstreamed with CRPF, RPF, TN Special Police, Police Dept - more than 40,000 personnel trained throughout the state
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Training of Frontline Workers - 770 identified ANMs’ training completed
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Training of PRI - TOT already given to SIRD and RIRD faculties – they incorporate HIV/AIDS related subjects in the regular training programmes. These PRIs are regularly covered in the training programmes, whenever they attend training programmes.
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Sensitization programme for key development departments in 27 A & B category districts: TANSACS partnered with APAC and has completed sensitization of the officers in the departments/ organizations such as labour department, rural development department, transport department, developmental NGOs, missionaries -managed hospitals/ schools principals, headmasters. |
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Tribal Action Plan –The Tribal Action Plan prepared jointly by TANSACS, TNHSP and Dept of Tribal Welfare in Sept 09 and approved by NACO is being rolled out. |
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| GIPA Activities |
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ORWs trained through INP+ on home-based care and nutrition
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Facilitated formation of 45 SHGs through PWN+ in12 districts |
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Six months’ skill training (computer) organized through Magalir Thittam for two women PLHA in Pudukottai District.
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THATCO loan arranged for two PLHA in Sivaganga. |
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All complaints on stigma/discrimination are being maintained at TANSACS and IEC interventions have helped to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS and to safeguard and protect the human rights of PLHA. The recent NFHS-III data shows that more than 90% of people in Tamil Nadu have awareness, at different levels, of HIV/AIDS. |
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