A Demand Creation Strategy that Promotes Community Helps UNAIDS Develop HIV/AIDS Prevention Programs in Indonesia
The community-based approach resulted in a more segmented Demand Creation strategy, allowing the PrEP and CBS programs to be accepted and considered in the HIV/AIDS prevention map in Indonesia.
Seeing the success of PrEP and CBS in neighboring countries such as Thailand, UNAIDS began to initiate the use of PrEP and CBS for at-risk communities in Indonesia. Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEp) is a pill used to prevent infection for people at risk of contracting HIV. Meanwhile, Community-based Screening (CBS) is a method used to support the HIV Self-testing program. These methods have been proven in various countries to reduce the risk of infection transmission by up to 98%. When this program entered Indonesia, the challenges faced by UNAIDS became more dynamic. UNAIDS needs a targeted Demand Creation strategy to make PrEP and CBS accepted as the main method of preventing HIV/AIDS transmission.
CASE
"The difference in perception between UNAIDS as the organizer and the community as the recipient presents a new dynamic in formulating a demand creation strategy for PrEP and CBS products."UNAIDS faced dynamic challenges when attempting to integrate PrEP and CBS into HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Indonesia. Penetration was difficult as the Indonesian culture and social norms stigmatize HIV/AIDS prevention methods. That's why when the basicludo team handled this case, our first instinct is to present a grassroots approach.
We started mapping by first conducting FGDs (Focus Group Discussions) with four at-risk communities, namely injecting drug users (IDUs), sex workers, men who have sex with men (MSM), and transgender who are the main targets. Furthermore, we also conducted FGDs with stakeholders, conducted research to determine the media's perception of the presence of PrEP and CBS in Indonesia, and analyzed the implementation of PrEP and CBS abroad to discover the most suitable method to be applied domestically.
As a result, we discovered a perceptual difference between UNAIDS as the organizer and external parties. This is where our departure point begins, where the demand creation strategy must address the differences in perceptions between organizers and recipients. Initially, the socialization process regarding the use of PrEP and CBS was carried out digitally through the Tanya Marlo and Saya Berani platform. However, our research shows that some target communities are still unfamiliar and uncomfortable with these two digital platforms.
INSIGHT
"The demand-creation strategy needs to be tailored to the readiness of each community's different backgrounds in accessing PrEP and CBS."We realize that the challenge in formulating a demand creation strategy for PrEP and CBS products is to prioritize the conditions and situations of at-risk communities. Based on our observations, each community's different characteristics and situations will affect the socialization process of the PrEP and CBS programs. These disparities in accessing and absorbing information and will determine the campaign narrative of the PrEP and CBS programs. A narrative in accordance with grassroots conditions will make it easier for the target audience to understand PrEP and CBS as a means of preventing HIV/AIDS, which has a lower risk of being stigmatized. Likewise, the funnel will be different for each community because it is adapted to the readiness of access respectively.
Through a demand creation strategy based on community characteristics, our common goal is to make the main target understand that PrEP and CBS are alternatives in preventing the transmission of HIV/AIDS infection. Both of these products have advantages, namely that they can be accessed at any time, personalize test results, and there is less risk of being stigmatized and discriminated against.
RESULT
Campaign based on grassroots Demand Creation Strategy helps stakeholders understand that PrEP and CBS have the potential to become generic products in Indonesia.Indonesia's HIV/AIDS control and prevention faces obstacles due to the stigma and discrimination ingrained within at-risk communities. Stigma and discrimination make HIV prevention methods such as condoms, VCT, and treatment difficult to access. The presence of PrEP and CBS is a breath of fresh air for stakeholders in tackling HIV/AIDS infection in Indonesia. The fact is, these two methods have added value that is more accessible, namely a more personal one so as to minimize stigma and discrimination for its users. Once the strategies are implemented, it is hoped that PrEP and CBS can be accepted as alternative methods for infection prevention and even become the main choice for groups at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.
Our observations of the key target communities directly help UNAIDS' internal team understand that each community has different characteristics and funnels, which require different socialization programs. The same goes with stakeholders at the community level, the government, and health service providers so that they have the same perception about these two tools.