ADVOCACY COMMUNICATION AND BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE (HIV/AIDS)
COURSE INTRODUCTION
The challenge of changing risk behaviour for HIV/AIDS has been situated in theories that differ in terms of the implications of change for interventions, programme planning, and evaluation of change in intervention contexts (Parker, 2004). Theories of behaviour change may be grouped according to the targets of change proposed (such as individuals, groups, organisations, or communities), the expected outcomes of change (for example, increased help-seeking behaviour) and the timing of change (primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention) (Baskin, Braithwaite, Eldred & Glassman, 2005). Health risk behaviour has been theorised in terms of individual factors such as cognitive and interpersonal predictors of behaviour, and in terms of structural factors that include material, social, cultural and gender relations (Kelly, Parker & Lewis, 2001). Traditional theories have focussed more on the individual as the primary unit of intervention. These approaches have assumed that rational, cognitive processes will initiate individual behaviour change, an assumption that neglects the non-rational mediators of health behaviour and the social, material and discursive contexts of health behaviour (Bennett & Murphy, 1994). Integrative approaches to behaviour change have been developed in response to the critiques of theories which focus on individual behaviour alone (Kelly et al., 2001). Ecological approaches favour interactive, multiple levels of prevention that address behaviour change within social, cultural, political and economic environments that shape individual or group behaviours (Babun & Craciun, 2007; NCI, 2003).
Besides, the international development NGO, FHI, identifies the following steps in developing a behavior change communication strategy namely; involve stakeholder; identify target populations; conduct formative BCC assessments; segment target populations; develop communication products; implement and monitor.
In addition, it identifies the following challenges to BCC programmers: establish communication as strategic and integrated into entire programs; BCC is a component of all successful interventions and must be included in their original design. However, in reality this doesn’t always happen; limited capacity and availability of trained, in-country resource people, including advertising agencies and media outlets, can hamper the effective implementation of BCC programs; in some countries, geography and populational diversity can complicate the development of BCC programs. This is especially the case where vast distances must be covered, or multiple languages and cultural traditions included, in a single country program; BCC strategies and components must evolve constantly to meet the changing needs of target populations. This requires the continuous input of human and financial resources; to have a real impact on the epidemic, responses must be expanded in quality, scope of activities and geographic coverage. Expanding comprehensive BCC strategies is a continuing challenge; the BCC strategy is often not adequately budgeted. Capacity-building needs are ongoing and resource-intensive and this must be taken into consideration by donors and managers and building and maintaining linkages and coordination.
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