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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Red Ribbon Question Mark Campaign Wins Three National AwardsThe Red Ribbon Question Mark Campaign to encourage at-risk individuals to get tested for HIV has won three awards in a national competition for “excellence in public health communication.” The campaign was developed for the Maryland AIDS Administration, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (MDHMH) by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs, in collaboration with Eisner Communications. Karen Black, Director of Public Relations for MDHMH accepted the three awards at the annual meeting of NPHIC held in Denver Colorado. The campaign received the Gold award for best "Information Campaign", and Bronze awards in the "Poster" and "Internet Home Page" categories in the competition sponsored by the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC) and open to public health departments from all 50 states. The multi-media campaign includes TV, radio, and transit advertising linked to community outreach activities and provider information. The ads, which have appeared in Baltimore City and Montgomery County, have succeeded in raising awareness and getting more people tested. Testing is up 9.6 percent statewide and 48 percent and 30 percent at sentinel testing sites. The campaign has reached a 76% awareness level, and increased "intent to get tested" by 19 percentage points. Calls to the First Call for Help referral hotline went up 1500% after the campaign began, with 62% of callers crediting the campaign as the impetus for their call. The Red Ribbon Question Mark symbol also won the 1999 Addy Award for best logo design in the Baltimore region. The Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs JHU/CCP is a pioneer in the field of strategic, research-based communication for behavior change and health promotion that has helped transform the theory and practice of public health. JHU/CCP has been a leader in the development of projects based on systematic needs assessment and clear strategies for positioning and presenting the benefits of health interventions to appropriate audiences. With representatives in more than 30 countries, JHU/CCP has developed and managed over 300 country-based projects and contracts in 50 countries involving more than 200 local organizations and subcontractors. For more information, contact James R. Williams, Associate Director, at 410-659-6273. |
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