At the AIDS 2012 conference on Sunday, Glory Mkandawire, Chief of Party of CCP’s Malawi BRIDGE II project, discussed the role of the BRIDGE II project in encouraging Malawian communities to take action against HIV/AIDS.

CCP’s BRIDGE II project was selected to participate in the panel Where the tide will turn: How is community level participation most effective in turning the tide?, sponsored by USAID, Office of HIV/AIDS. Glory presented on behalf of her CCP co-authors, Rajiv N. Rimal, Rupali J. Limaye, Peter Roberts, and Jane Brown.

In her presentation, Glory shared results from data collected in 2009 and 2011. The data showed that exposure to BRIDGE II programs was significantly associated with collective efficacy, or the belief that a community has the power to do something to prevent HIV/AIDS. The study found that mass media messages, coupled with community activities, appear to show promise in the fight against AIDS.