Assessing AIDS/HIV prevention: what do we know in Europe? General population.

One aim of this EC Concerted Action Programme has been to compare and contrast AIDS/HIV prevention strategies aimed at the general population, and the methods used to assess them, in order to arrive at a better understanding of how public education in this area might optimally be effected and evaluated. To this end, data have been collected on interventions and their evaluation for selected European countries by means of site visits, postal questionnaires and expert meetings of those involved. These data have been analysed where possible in relation to other relevant variables including the social and political context in which AIDS public education has taken place, the existing tradition of health education, the financial and manpower resources available and the nature of the HIV epidemic in each country. Initial analysis shows that there have been remarkable parallels between AIDS public education campaigns in different European countries in terms, for example, of their sequence and progression, and their content. At the same time, essential differences are apparent with respect to the ease with which it has been possible to implement strategies, the tone and style of initiatives, and their reception by and effect on the general population. Attempts to attribute these differences to specific cultural, political or operational factors are difficult, but the cross national comparison holds valuable lessons for both campaigns and their evaluation.