Awareness and campaign impact
De Rossa asks whether those most at risk are adequately informed and whether campaigns have affected AIDS incidence. O’Hanlon describes the 1987 media campaign, booklet, and freephone service; the reply on impact is cut off.
In his reply the Minister said that there was a high awareness of the AIDS problem among the public. Can he tell us if he considers that the categories most at risk are as highly aware of the risks as the general public are? Can he also tell us if any study has been carried out on the effects which the various campaigns and steps his Department have taken have had on the incidence of AIDS and to what extent the growth of the problem has been retarded, if at all?
Comment on this
A public information programme was carried out in May 1987 through television, radio and newspaper advertising, and a booklet and free phone service were available, at a total cost of £500,000. Public knowledge about AIDS is being reinforced through a mass media programme and on a more individual level the personal worries and queries of individuals have been addresed through a detailed booklet and a free phone service. The booklet is available through pharmacies, public health clinics and doctors, and the telephone service will continue for the present.
On the question of what survey was carried out, following that information programme a survey was carried out by the Health Education Bureau to determine the effectiveness of the programme. A clear majority of people considered it very good in helping them to understand AIDS. In general, changes in people's knowledge about AIDS were in the desired direction and there was an improvement in people's knowledge of the modes of transmission of AIDS. These findings were confirmed by a survey conducted by Lansdowne Market Research Ltd. for the Sunday Press.
On the question of those most at risk, we would regard drug abusers as one such group who are most at risk and, as I have already stated in the main reply to the question, various measures have been taken in an effort to reach drug abusers in a one-to-one way and the national coordinating committee on drugs, of which my colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Leyden, is chairman, are watching this situation very closely and, in particular, I would refer to the Outreach programme being operated by the Eastern Health Board.