The “Active Prevention and Communication for All” (PACTO) project in Mozambique funded by USAID and PEPFAR supported the Conselho Nacional de Combate ao HIV/SIDA’s (CNCS) Andar Fora é Maningue Arriscado (Stepping Out is Very Risky) multimedia and community-level campaign which addresses multiple concurrent partnerships (MCP). Broadcasting began in November 2012 and ongoing through January 2013. This communication effort is a continuation of CNCS’ first MCP campaign which launched in 2011 and sought to break HIV’s “spiral of silence,” increase risk perception, and establish a new paradigm for couples to have relationships free of MCP. This year’s campaign capitalizes on the results of the 2011 campaign’s impact evaluation by focusing messages on factors that contribute to the reduction of MCP: defying gender norms of masculinity, reinforcing couples’ communication, reducing violence against women and promoting HIV testing.

Andar Fora é Maningue Arriscado utilizes a combination of communication platforms assuring synergy and wide reach among men and adult couples. The mass media component is comprised of TV and radio spots; televised Tchova Tchova and Homen que é Homen (“Men who are Real Men”) one-hour debates on STV and TV Moçambique respectively; Tchova Tchova radio show, Escutando Podemos Mudar (“Listening we can Change”); and the interactive radio show 100% Kool. A centerpiece of the mass media campaign are the four television spots that focus on urban audiences, particularly men. The content of the spots encourages men to adopt responsible sexual behaviors and practices that protect their families, as well as reduce their number of sexual partners, decrease violence towards partners and promote men’s acceptance of HIV counseling and testing. The television spots have also been posted on YouTube in the form of a playlist and can be found in the “Media Links” section below.

The new media & social networks component of the campaign used the Facebook pages of both the Andar Fora é Maningue Arriscado and SensaSons Lyrics Contest & Music Festival; Ministry of Health’s Alo Vida hotline; an SMS platform to message listeners and for listeners to reply with questions or comments; and the YouTube playlist mentioned above.

The community and advocacy interventions included mobile signage on vehicles such as mini buses and taxis which was made possible through a partnership with the public transportation sector. The messaging on taxis allowed PACTO to also promote the campaign to smaller villages where buses did not transit. Another component that brought the message to the community level was the promotional apparel that Tchova Tchova and Positive Prevention facilitators and community leaders sported while they performed their everyday HIV prevention community-based work. PACTO also partnered with local bars and restaurants as “places of safe entertainment” and distributed coasters with the campaign’s key messages for them to use in their establishments. The SensaSons Lyrics Contest and Music Festival also launched a series of events of great visibility that contributed in the promotion of the MCP campaign.

Lastly, other print and promotional materials including billboards, posters, calendars and capulanas (sarongs) were produced and distributed among local partners and stakeholders to further widen the campaign’s reach.

Media Links

Links to this media are given below.

• MCP television spots (YouTube playlist)
• Print & Promotional Materials
• Mobile Signage
• Billboards
• Promotional Apparel for Tchova Tchova Facilitators & Leaders