Report: PLANNING FOR RED RIBBON EXPRESS 2012 (RRE)

Red Ribbon Express in the background

BACKGROUND

The Red Ribbon Express, a special 8-coach train; a mass awareness and mobilization initiative on HIV/AIDS implemented by NACO chugged into the city of Mumbai on 14th of March, 2012. The express halted for 2 days on Platform no.13 at the Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus, open for exhibition to the public from 9 am to 6pm.


The RRE consists of eight coaches as follows:

Coach 1: This had displays on bio-medical aspects of HIV/AIDS including interactive touch screens and 3-D models.

Coach 2: This had exhibits and educational material with focus on HIV/AIDS from the perspective of care, support and treatment services.

Coach 3: This had exhibits focusing on HIV/AIDS as a social and developmental issue to promote creation of an enabling environment free from stigma and discrimination (inter-sector /mainstreaming approach).

Coach 4: This displayed information on general health, hygiene and communicable diseases such as swine flu, TB and malaria and RCH services.

Coach 5: Auditorium-cum-Conference - This had arrangement for orientation/sensitization of groups such as women self help groups, members of Panchayati Raj Institutions (Institutions of Local Self Governance), teachers, government officials, police personnel, NGOs, youth leaders etc. A group of 60 people could participate in one session. Generally three sessions were organized every day at each halt station.

Coach 6: Counseling-cum-Medical Services - This coach had provision for counseling, HIV testing, STI treatment and general health check-ups. These services were supplemented by additional health services on the platform.

Coach 7: Sleeper Coach - This coach was for traveling of crew members, monitoring staff, visiting NACO and SACS officials.

Coach 8: This had office and dining-cum-pantry facilities.

Now in its third phase, the Red Ribbon Express continues to travel the remotest towns and the biggest cities and spread messages on HIV and AIDS across India and has become an icon of hope and possibilities for the masses in rural and semi-urban India. In this metropolitan city and commercial capital of the country, the express aimed to orient Mumbaikars about key facts on HIV/AIDS as well as information regarding a host of primary prevention services available in the city. Apart from HIV/AIDS, the express also presented important information about H1N1, TB, Malaria and Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) issues.

Apart from information dissemination, there were 2 special coaches that conducted HIV/AIDS related training and HIV counselling and testing throughout the 2 days.

The train was set to reach Mumbai on March 14, 2012 and this information had to be spread out to the city masses. For this very purpose, MDACS took up a month long pre-arrival mobilization and used two main mediums to inform people about the coming of the RRE, namely:

1. On Ground Mobilisation
2. Media Mobilisation

The next two reports carry details on the various methods of mobilization used to ensure footfalls at the Red Ribbon Express event. There were 10225 people who visited the venue on March 14 & 15, 2012 showing the excellent result of the hard work put in over a month’s period prior to the event.