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A new agreement signed by the Federal Republic of Germany through KfW Entwicklungsbank (the German development bank) and UNAIDS hails social marketing as a successful tool in fighting HIV/AIDS and has committed to scaling up regional and multilateral partnerships. The July signing of a "cooperation framework" commemorates the solidification of an existing regional collaboration between KfW and UNAIDS in Central America — PSI's Pan American Social Marketing Organization (PASMO) initiative. Building on the notion that collaboration accomplishes more than division, KfW and UNAIDS are eager to expand HIV/AIDS programs to a regional level, working with regional agencies, NGOs and financing institutions. A KfW-UNAIDS press release points to PASMO as one of three noteworthy examples of such a regional program. "PASMO, the Central American regional social marketing project is a good example of the strong added value of a regional approach and at the same time fighting against fragmentation of aid and of response to the epidemic," said Hans Moerkerk, special advisor to Peter Piot, UNAIDS executive director. PASMO's condom social marketing program promotes Vive, Vive Colors and Vive Max condoms in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. With regional approaches, UNAIDS and KfW seek to complement existing bi- and multilateral efforts, work synergistically and improve response to the epidemic. By streamlining best practices and combining efforts and resources, organizations will avoid redundant activities and achieve greater results. KfW will continue to finance and implement social marketing programs, and UNAIDS will serve as stakeholder liaison, offer technical guidance and assist with overall coordination. Other financing institutions have also joined the regional approach, including the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Global Fund. Both Moerkerk and the press release praise the role of social marketing in HIV/AIDS prevention. "Social marketing for behavioral change is a well proven instrument to prevent infection with HIV/STI…It can also contribute — and so we try in Central America and the Caribbean — to change climates of stigma and discrimination," states Moerkerk. — Karrie Carnes, PSI/Washington |
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