On Friday, February 3, Flow PR was on the front line as our client, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), launched two of by far the most important studies in South Africa. These studies will look at our behaviour around major health issues including HIV, and gather information to help the government, at the highest level, develop policies and programmes that, among other things, will curtail the spread of HIV across all age, race and cultural groups.
The HSRC and its partners and funders conduct theses studies every three years. It mobilises hundreds of field workers who visit specific households, selected through a high-tech process to ensure statistical relevance of the sample to the South African population. About 45 000 households will be visited during the survey.
The HSRC continues to plead with all South Africans to participate in these surveys, as the selection method for participants relies on all chosen households giving accurate feedback.
Flow Communications, through its public relations company, Flow PR, as the communications partner to HSRC, has been instrumental in getting the message to the public to ensure maximum participation in the study.
Flow PR was responsible for ensuring media attendance at the launch of the event in Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria, all linked via satellite.
Several journalists heeded the call, with 5FM’s Gareth Cliff going so far as to invite the HSRC to conduct an HIV test live in studio.
This study is so important to South Africa that senior executives of the HSRC have also temporarily hung up their suits and high-heeled shoes in exchange for T-shirts, takkies and gumboots to join the data capturers in the field and canvass support for the survey. Dr Olive Shisana, CEO of the HSRC, has also recently been spotted in the field in various suburbs and townships, urging people to take part in the study.
So next time you see people wearing T-shirts with the HSRC logo, please give them your time; the study is not for HIV-positive or -negative people, it is for all South Africans. It is a study whose results will have a serious impact on our health through future health policies and programmes.