CONDUCTING A MEDIA ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN: A MANUAL FOR ACTION
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In addition, websites were launched to create places where everyone could find out about what substitution therapy is and ask any questions on the matter. However, we understood that it was not enough to create a quality advertising product. It was also necessary to ensure wide promotion of our message through good media coverage. Therefore, to create the project’s information base, we developed and launched an information website ‘ZaPyTaj!’ (ASK!) (www.zpt.in.ua) that contained information about substitution therapy in Ukraine and around the world. In order for the website on substitution maintenance therapy to be considered a serious information source and to present all the existing attitudes and research about this kind of treatment, we invited leading national experts to participate in the website section ‘Question – Answer.’ I am sure that with time the website ‘ZaPyTaj!’ can be developed into a popular Internet resource on substitution maintenance therapy. This website can become useful not only for experts, doctors and clients of these programs, but for journalists writing about these issues and for anyone who may be interested in learning more. Of course, there were some challenges with the project. Not all the publications were as approving as we would like them to be, and the publicity was not as wide as we planned it to be. But nevertheless, we are already proud of ourselves! We are proud of the fact that we made the first step forward. We launched an open and honest discussion of one of the most acute issues for Ukraine within the context of fighting the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, drug addiction – we the very people living with this problem. There is no doubt that this is a victory for us! The project demonstrated not only our opportunities and readiness to participate in advocacy initiatives, but also how united we are. We are all who call ourselves WE. While communicating with journalists, debating with opponents at forums, we did not think only of ourselves, but of our entire community – all of the people who are fighting the HIV epidemic today and trying to reduce the harm related to injecting drug use. That is to say that we are on the same side of the ‘building yard’ where the foundation is being laid for the Ukrainian state drug policy.
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