Global Fund Media Campaign 2005

This campaign uses public relations (PR) activities and media products to call on funders to continue and/or step up the financial support they are giving to fight HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria. Mobilising support for the funding efforts by increasing public trust and confidence is a key campaign strategy. In the words of Richard Feachem, the Global Fund's Executive Director, "If governments are to commit funds of this magnitude on behalf of their country they must have confidence that the money will be distributed wisely. We wanted to contribute to building that confidence by showing people that their country's aid money saves lives and builds healthcare where it is needed most." The Global Fund here points to the importance of showing impact of funding initiatives: "we recognise our responsibility to demonstrate results and effective use of money. Through this campaign we can communicate to the...public that the Global Fund directs funds where they are needed most and begin to show how the work is making a significant difference."

The central campaign theme, which is reflected in a printed poster and a public service announcement (PSA), is "listening". The message is that the provision of aid works when and only when funders seek the input of the "grass roots" - local people and experts who can communicate in their own voices which factors are contributing to the problems of disease and poverty. The suggestion is that, in inviting grant proposals, funder should "listen" to the people who ask for aid organisations to invest in their work. The idea is that community members and others living and working with concrete issues best understand the nature and extent of their problems and, thus, are best qualified to come up with feasible solutions.

According to the Global Fund, the result of this strategy - and the key message that this awareness campaign seeks to disseminate - is that "the right people" get "the right kind of help". For the Global Fund, an integral part of this approach is understanding how funds can best be used to make the most of what is already being done in-country, and to fill in gaps between already-existing efforts.

These themes are communicated with imagery and voices that provoke the viewer to ask "does anyone listen?". The poster, for example, features the face of a woman speaking out, with an empty cartoon-like "bubble" next to her mouth - and the message, "if we're going to help, first we need to listen". Similarly, in the video spot - which, like the poster, is accessible on the Global Fund website - a physician (who appears to be talking to herself) stands in a crowded public place filled with people talking on mobile phones, listening to music on headsets, and engaged in conversations. Suddenly everyone stops speaking - the idea is that the communication needed to understand how to provide aid cannot be accomplished by talking alone. Listening is key. The voice-over is provided by Dr Who actor Christopher Eccleston, which reflects the strategy of piquing the public's interest by involving a celebrity in the effort.

During the launch period, the Global Fund is holding a series of meetings with representatives from the governments of the G8 and private sector leaders to encourage them to play an active role in the fight against AIDS, TB, and malaria.

HIV/AIDS, Health, Poverty.

According to the Global Fund, new ways of ensuring that poverty is reduced by half by 2015 are high on the G8 agenda. As G8 members gather to discuss aid to the world's economically poorest countries, the Global Fund aims to stimulate grassroots support for its work to tackle AIDS, TB and malaria. To that end, and as part of the PR activities carried out as part of this campaign, the Global Fund notes that by the end of 2004 its financing had provided:

• 130,000 people with antiretroviral treatment for AIDS
• more than one million people with voluntary HIV testing
• 385,000 patients with treatments under DOTS (Directly observed treatment) strategy for TB control
• more than 300,000 people with artemisinin combination treatments (ACTs) for malaria
• more than 1.35 million families with insecticide-treated mosquito nets
• tens of thousands of people with prevention programmes including behaviour change campaigns, community outreach, condom distribution, community- and school-based programmes, and media awareness raising campaigns
• over 350,000 people with training.

The campaign, then, is an effort to show that increased aid can be used well and can make a real difference in the fight against poverty, by enabling local solutions. The campaign is also intended to acknowledge the financial support of governments around the world who give money to the Global Fund.