IEC

 

Information, Education and Communication (IEC) combines strategies, approaches and methods that enable individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities to play active roles in achieving, protecting and sustaining their own health.
Embodied in IEC is the process of learning that empowers people to make decisions, modify behaviors and change social conditions. Activities are developed based upon needs assessments, sound educational principles, and periodic evaluation using a clear set of goals and objectives. 
In this context JKSACS has developed an innovative State specific IEC strategy for generating AIDS awareness among vast majority of population across all regions of the State which includes extensive use of electronic and print media, use of internet, publicity campaigns, press conferences, hoardings, digital display boards, LCD screens, SMS, extensive use of folk, printing of IEC material, celebration of important days and conducting general awareness seminars among various sections of the society.
Various activities are planned and executed throughout the year.

Special Days:
World AIDS Day, World Blood Donors Day, National Voluntary Blood Donation Day, Youth Day, etc., are being observed throughout the State in order to reach out to the masses on sustainable basis. JKSACS celebrates these days with special emphasis on dissemination of AIDS Awareness and functions are organized throughout the State. Red Ribbon Clubs of different colleges have organized debates/seminars/rallies in their respective colleges to mark these days.

WORLD AIDS DAY
On the occasion of World AIDS Day J&K State AIDS Control Society organizes a number of events in collaboration with various departments across the State. The activities are organized throughout the moth starting from Dec 1st (WAD). Special functions are organized to target the Adolescents and other target group. Rallies, Seminars, Debates are organized at the State level and district level for disseminating AIDS awareness across the state.
Print Media:
Print Media has been extensively used for spreading IEC awareness and making people aware of facilities and services being provided by JKSACS under NACP.
In Print Media leading newspapers, magazines/Souvenirs have been used for providing information through captivating Advertisements, articles and write – ups and messages specially on big events like WBDD, NVBDD and WAD.

Press Conferences:
Press Conferences are organized to sensitive the media personnel’s both Print and Electronic to cover the events organized by JKSACS, so as to enable the AIDS Awareness messages to multiply and also to give due coverage to the events.
Electronic Media:
The AIDS Awareness messages, spots, scrolls are being telecast/broadcast through local Radio/TV Channels of Jammu and Kashmir Districts.
The AIDS Awareness messages are being broadcast from BIG 92.7 FM to disseminate knowledge about HIV/AIDS which is being extensively used to target youth population.
AIDS Awareness spots are being broadcast in regional programmes from Radio Kashmir, Jammu/Srinagar and specially composed long Format Radio Programme on HIV/AIDS.

Hoardings:
Permanent flex hoardings have been installed to cover all the components of NACP, messages highlighting different aspects of HIV/AIDS have been designed and hoardings installed at different locations across the state.  Hoardings have also been installed at Health Institutions for the benefit of patients.

Disseminating HIV/AIDS Awareness through Folk:
Since J&K State has variety of folk to suit the diverse cultural ethos, NGO’s having registered folk groups involved in sensitizing the masses are trained from time to time especially for imparting HIV/AIDS awareness among the rural masses – the cultural way. 
More than 700 hundred programmes have been held in J&K so far.
Programmes have been conducted in different rural blocks of all the districts of the state as per the availability of trained troupes. This process of disseminating HIV/AIDS Awareness caught-up with the rural masses and is still a popular activity among the masses.The rural masses have been benefitted from these folk performances and the messages percolated deep inside.  The illiterate and ignorant were the main beneficiaries of this tool for AIDS Awareness.  Folk music, songs and performances interspersed with AIDS Awareness messages were developed for the benefits of the villagers.
AIDS Awareness through SMS:
Special SMS have been created to generate AIDS Awareness. JKSACS has been issuing SMS’s on days like World AIDS Day, Health Day and Youth Day to generate awareness the SMS way.
AIDS Programme with Belt Forces:
J&K State AIDS Control Society in collaboration with Belt Forces like CRPF, Police, and Army is continuously involving the forces to generate AIDS Awareness for their personnel. In the first instance the officers of the units are sensitized to create a resource pool amongst them and later the resource persons disseminate the message among their troupes.

AIDS Programme with Jail Inmates:
J&K State AIDS Control Society (JKSACS) organize AIDS Awareness Programmes in Jails on a regular basis for creating awareness among the jail inmates which are followed by interactive sessions in which their doubts are cleared by the JKSACS officials.

Exhibitions of IEC material:
JKSACS in collaboration with health authorities participates in various Health Melas and fairs at prominent places of the states by putting up stalls of IEC material so that participants benefit and the IEC material reaches out to masses. Institutions like Health Deptt and Red Cross had the added attraction of IEC material especially in the rural areas.

OWP(PIL) NO. 579/2002- titled Syed Iqbal Tahir Vs State & Ors.(Click Here To Download)