African Information Society Initiative [AISI]

Use of ICT in the fight against HIV/AIDS

Discussion summary of the ICTs Focus Group of ADF 2000

A special interest group on ICT and HIV/AIDS was set up to discuss challenges and opportunities by ICT. Members of the focus group so far agree strongly that ICT has a major role to play and is a very effective tool for the transfer and exchange of information and knowledge in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Discussion Content

To assist with starting off the discussion, a set of questions were put together for
members to consider. The questions were formulated around the sub-themes of
ADF 2000. The question raised were:

1. Will information and communication technologies (traditional
and modern) have any role in the fight against HIV/AIDS? -
Will there be a link between AIDS, Development and the role
of ICT?

2. Where do you see ICT to be most effective? In research?, clinical
trials?, in treatment?, in patient education?, in professional
training, in prevention or just in providing general information
to journalists, policy makers and population.

3. What is the role of ICTs in bringing diverse institutions
working on/against HIV/AIDS together (agencies, research labs,
care providers, advocates, etc.)

4. Will there be impact on leadership, partnership (local institutions
and communities), public private at different levels (eg. in
mobilizing resources, setting priorities)?

5. Will there be a specific ICT role in mobilizing the diaspora
against HIV/AIDS in home countries, regions?

6. Is there any specific link between ICT, gender and HIV/AIDS?

7. Is the current information (databases, consumer, policy and
legal information, etc) on the Internet of any use to users in
Africa?

8. What should be done to make already available information
on the net to be useful to users in the region?

9. How should we effectively exchange information to learn from
country responses?

10. What are the key challenges in accessing and using ICT for
the fight against HIV/AIDS?

11. Which are the priority groups (youth, women, policy makers,
media, etc) in accessing to ICT. What will be the strategies
for bringing access and content to these groups?

12. How can ICT be used to mobilize leadership and partnership
among these groups?

13. What are the potential projects for ICT in the fight against
HIV/AIDS? (eg. for leadership, for PWAs, for youth, diaspora, researchers and
advocates…)

Observations

Following discussion of these questions the group has identified a number of areas where ICT can play and is playing a significant role in the fight against HIV/AIDS:

a. sharing of information in a timely and efficient manner
b. providing a platform for debate
c. fostering new partnerships
d. creating, accessing and updating accessible databases
e. getting second opinion for specific diagnosis
f. continuing medical education
g. promoting acceptable practices
h. improving collaborative efforts to save time and resources
i. enhancing patient education
j. enhancing prevention
k. bypassing confidentiality problems and taboos
l. elaborating better policies, programmes and priorities
m. providing content moderation and increasing content relevance
n. providing form for advocacy for new treatments, drugs, etc.

During the course of further discussion, it is expected that these will be considered
further and perhaps more items will be added or some of the above combined.

Members have raised concern that when looking at ICT components, care must be
taken not to dwell only on connectivity but to include other technologies such as
radio, TV, drama and outreach. It has been recognised that there is need to
identify or develop methodologies for passing content from one medium to the
other such as from the Internet to community radio.

Recommendations

The recommendations that emerged from the discussion are as follows:

a. A resource database should be created. The objectives of creating the database
should include raising awareness, providing contact information so that connections that reach individual users can be facilitated. The database should also aim to address some of the areas identified above. Access to the database should target specific interest groups.

b. A network of key stakeholders and partnership members should be developed.
National AIDS Control Programmes (NACP) were identified as key partnership
members that should be included and should play a significant role in such a
network. Other members were identified as UNAIDS programmes, donors,
government ministries, NGOs, associations of people living with HIV/AIDS and
regional organisations.

c. Mechanisms for moderating, accessing and summarising what information is
available through ICT should be developed. These will highly assist with concern
over possible questionable validity of some of the information that is obtained
through ICT such as through the Internet.

d. A guide on how to use ICT effectively in the identified areas should be developed.

Further recommendations are expected to emerge during the Forum.