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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2001
Modern Hotline Systems Connect Concerned Africans to
AIDS Information and Counseling 24 Hours a Day
South African AIDS Helpline Receives 20,000 Calls Each Month
BALTIMORE—Two African nations struggling to cope with the HIV/AIDS epidemic have launched telephone hotline systems to provide the most up-to-date and accurate information about the disease. Callers in Nigeria and South Africa concerned about such basic questions as how the virus is transmitted, where to get tested, and how effective condoms are in preventing HIV/AIDS now have the answers at their fingertips.
South Africans now have access to one of the world's modern telephone hotline systems with a team of 68 specially trained counselors working around the clock to provide information and counseling at no cost in 11 different languages. And on Tuesday, Nigeria officially launched its first 24-hour toll-free hotline dedicated to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and services.
Both countries sought technical assistance from The Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP), with the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in setting up the hotlines. The Academy for Educational Development also played a key role by training counselors for both hotlines.
“We are pleased to have been involved in these efforts to improve access to information for the people of South Africa and Nigeria, “said Phyllis Tilson Piotrow, Director of JHU/CCP. “Not only do these hotlines provide the most current information on AIDS prevention and treatment, they also provide a caring voice that offers emotional support to someone infected with the AIDS virus.”
Hard hit by the AIDS epidemic, South Africa has an estimated 4.7 million people infected with the HIV virus and has more people living with AIDS than any other country in the world. Because of the rapid spread of the virus, officials recognized the crucial need for a centralized and streamlined way to deliver current and accurate AIDS information and plans were made to upgrade the existing AIDS Helpline. Call volume now averages about 20,000 calls a month with most callers seeking information about HIV/AIDS testing, disease transmission, and condoms.
The new system was made possible through a successful partnership between the South African government, a local non-governmental organization known as LifeLine, and JHU/CCP. At a national event on July 30 in Johannesburg, South Africa's Minister of Health, Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, launched the updated toll-free hotline, which is capable of handling up to 200,000 calls each month. President Thabo Mbeki's personal advisor on HIV/AIDS, members of Parliament, and other government officials also attended the launch.
Most of the calls to the South African hotline come from young adults, who are most at risk for contracting the AIDS virus. According to Pamilla Mudhray, manager for the AIDS Helpline, 39 percent of the callers are 15 to 19 and 45 percent are 20 to 29. Men are also more likely to call than women; 60 percent of the callers are male. The South Africa AIDS Helpline phone number is 27-11-0800-012-322.
Nigeria has 2.6 million people infected with HIV, most of them between the ages of 15 and 24. More than 1,500 Nigerians are infected each day with HIV. In Lagos on Tuesday, August 21, the Honorable Minister of State for Health, Dr. Amina Ndalolo, officially launched the youth HIV/AIDS hotline with Lagos government officials in attendance.
While the Nigeria hotline targets young adults, most of the callers so far (69 percent) have been older than 24 years, according to Iwalola Akin-Jimoh, Executive Secretary of the hotline. The older callers illustrate the crucial need for a credible source of information on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, Akin-Jimoh said. The Nigeria hotline can be reached at 234-01-772-2200 or 234-01-773-2201 and was made possible through a partnership of the Lagos State HIV/AIDS Foundation, JHU/CCP, and the Youth Empowerment Foundation, a local non-governmental organization.
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. With representatives in more than 30 countries, JHU/CCP has been a leader in the development of projects based on systematic needs assessments and clear strategies for positioning and presenting the benefits of health interventions to appropriate audiences. To find out more about JHU/CCP, go to http://www.jhuccp.org.
For more information contact: Kim Martin at Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, 111 Market Place, Suite 310, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, USA. Tel: 410 659-6140; Fax: 410 659-6266 e-mail: press@jhuccp.org.
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