Director's Blog
Health Marketing Musings
from Jay M. Bernhardt, PhD, MPH
On December 1, 2007, the world will collectively observe World AIDS Day. Since 1988, World AIDS Day has provided an important opportunity for governments, organizations, communities, and individuals to generate greater public awareness of the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and to re-energize those fighting against it. Worldwide, HIV prevalence—the percentage of people living with HIV—has leveled off and the number of new infections dropped in 2007. However, AIDS remains among the leading causes of death around the world and continues to be the primary cause of death in Africa. In 2007, an estimated 2.1 million died of AIDS.
The international focus for this year's World AIDS Day is "leadership". Addressing a global public health problem as challenging as HIV/AIDS takes innovative leaders with vision, perseverance and commitment in all sectors and levels of society, from individuals, families and community-based organizations to governmental and non-governmental organizations. The HIV/AIDS prevention community has always had many such leaders in its ranks and this year the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has documented a global decline in the number of new infections in part as a result of the efforts of HIV programs.
Another area where the HIV/AIDS prevention community has shown significant leadership has been in applying the latest principles and techniques of health communication and marketing in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Faced with the challenge of communicating sensitive topics to stigmatized populations, this community quickly recognized the importance of working with partners, community planning groups and thought leaders to ensure that vital health information and services are effectively created, communicated and delivered. These practices have contributed to the successful adoption of marketing and communication as important functions in public health. From the grassroots level to the national campaigns, the number and variety of groundbreaking communication and marketing strategies that have been used are too numerous to mention here.
Speaking of leadership, we are all fortunate to have Dr. Kevin Fenton as the Director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention. In this role, Dr. Fenton is bringing new energy and passion to marketing and communication programs as he leads CDC's domestic and global HIV/AIDS prevention programs. CDC has made significant strides with campaigns (Prevention is Care, and One Test, Two Lives) and tools to increase HIV testing among at-risk populations. In collaboration with AIDS.gov, HHS's Office of HIV/AIDS Policy, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA), CDC has made available the newest marketing and communications solutions, including a mobile-phone based HIV test locator (text your zip code to "KnowIt" or 566948). The team for World AIDS Day this year also created web features on the CDC.gov homepage, graphical buttons, ads for Web sites, HIV/AIDS badges for social network sites, a live Webinar featuring leaders from the across the Department of Health and Human Services, and Health-e-Cards to commemorate World AIDS Day that can be sent to friends, families, and colleagues.
Now more than ever, it is important to leverage our partnerships and resources through innovative marketing and communication. We must strive to be leaders and inspire leadership and provide the latest information, tools and assistance to those fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic on the frontlines – from Asia and Africa to Appalachia and America's largest metropolitan areas. Our continued and coordinated worldwide efforts are making a difference. This World AIDS Day, it is time for everyone to Take the Lead and Stop AIDS.
Posted by Jay on Friday, November 30, 2007 at 3:00pm ET
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