Arising from the work of the UNAIDS High Level Commission on HIV Prevention, the Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation is launching the competition "Social media and mobile phones for HIV prevention". The competition will award innovative, start-up projects to show proof of concept and the potential for future scale up for real impact on the HIV epidemic.
Social media and mobile technology hold huge potential to help the raise of awareness and mobilize the social action needed to turn the tide on the HIV epidemic-and with more than 7 000 new HIV infections everyday, a refocus on prevention is crucial.
Applications will be assessed by a high profile panel of judges of leading technology and HIV prevention experts including Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook and CEO of Jumo, Bill Roedy former Chairman and Chief Executive, MTV Networks International, Elena Pinchuk, founder and Chairman of the ANTIAIDS Foundation, Debbie Rogers, lead strategist with South Africa's Praekelt Foundation, Dr Garth Japhet, CEO, Heartlines, Member of the High Level Commission Scientific Advisory Panel, Vladimir Pozner, Founder of "Russian media-partnership against AIDS".
"Young people and teenagers spend most of their time in the Internet. Their life today is about computer and telephone. To be more efficient with the AIDS messaging, we have to use the same language and the same communication platforms as our target audience. Our goal today - is to make modern technologies work for prevention. Our dream is the future where AIDS is only mentioned in the past tense" - said Elena Pinchuk, founder and Chairman of the ANTIAIDS Foundation.
Winning projects will be awarded with full or partial funding up to 10 000 USD for the maximum implementation period of 1 year. Accepting applications from 29 June to 1 October, projects applying for funding should be either youth-lead or have a youth focus, aim to prevent new HIV infections, raise awareness about HIV and/or decrease stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV in relation to HIV prevention.
"Young people are in the forefront of the AIDS epidemic - both as those affected and those leading the social and behavioural changes which will prevent HIV", said Michael Bartos, Strategy Team leader from UNAIDS. "The new era of social movements led by ‘digital natives' will transform the AIDS response - and this competition will help create its leading edge", he said.
The initiative offers opportunity to software developers, public health practitioners, HIV programme managers as well as mHealth and social media for health communications professionals to create innovative projects using social media and/or mobile phones for HIV prevention among young people.
"Young people connect with each other through social media and mobile. As this is their primary means of communication, the next generation of HIV prevention must be through this, said Mr Roedy. "Let's help create the prevention revolution with this technology and go forward with the aim to have an AIDS free generation".
Winners and amounts granted will be announced on 1 December, World AIDS Day 2011: www.unaids.org and www.hivpreventioncommission.com.
Social media and mobile technology hold huge potential to help the raise of awareness and mobilize the social action needed to turn the tide on the HIV epidemic-and with more than 7 000 new HIV infections everyday, a refocus on prevention is crucial.
Applications will be assessed by a high profile panel of judges of leading technology and HIV prevention experts including Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook and CEO of Jumo, Bill Roedy former Chairman and Chief Executive, MTV Networks International, Elena Pinchuk, founder and Chairman of the ANTIAIDS Foundation, Debbie Rogers, lead strategist with South Africa's Praekelt Foundation, Dr Garth Japhet, CEO, Heartlines, Member of the High Level Commission Scientific Advisory Panel, Vladimir Pozner, Founder of "Russian media-partnership against AIDS".
"Young people and teenagers spend most of their time in the Internet. Their life today is about computer and telephone. To be more efficient with the AIDS messaging, we have to use the same language and the same communication platforms as our target audience. Our goal today - is to make modern technologies work for prevention. Our dream is the future where AIDS is only mentioned in the past tense" - said Elena Pinchuk, founder and Chairman of the ANTIAIDS Foundation.
Winning projects will be awarded with full or partial funding up to 10 000 USD for the maximum implementation period of 1 year. Accepting applications from 29 June to 1 October, projects applying for funding should be either youth-lead or have a youth focus, aim to prevent new HIV infections, raise awareness about HIV and/or decrease stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV in relation to HIV prevention.
"Young people are in the forefront of the AIDS epidemic - both as those affected and those leading the social and behavioural changes which will prevent HIV", said Michael Bartos, Strategy Team leader from UNAIDS. "The new era of social movements led by ‘digital natives' will transform the AIDS response - and this competition will help create its leading edge", he said.
The initiative offers opportunity to software developers, public health practitioners, HIV programme managers as well as mHealth and social media for health communications professionals to create innovative projects using social media and/or mobile phones for HIV prevention among young people.
"Young people connect with each other through social media and mobile. As this is their primary means of communication, the next generation of HIV prevention must be through this, said Mr Roedy. "Let's help create the prevention revolution with this technology and go forward with the aim to have an AIDS free generation".
Winners and amounts granted will be announced on 1 December, World AIDS Day 2011: www.unaids.org and www.hivpreventioncommission.com.
