A communication needs assessment was conducted among participants from key population and bridge population across 10 states to understand the awareness level, barriers and challengestowards safe sex practices, safe injecting practices, accessing testing services, treatment and adherence to treatment; their perception about level of risk, media habits and preferred programmes, formats for receiving information on HIV. Accessibility and use of internet and mobile were also discussed.
The service providers from the field level to the Service centres were also probed on their job roles and responsibilities, their opinion of service delivery to the population they cater to, the challenges they face and the support they need. Opinion were sought on ‘barriers and challenges to safe practices, testing and treatment seeking behaviour’ of their clients; the preferred source of information and the best way to reach them. Besides probing on their need of capacity building and training for awareness generation, the key information areas that is missing were also probed along with their comfort level with digital media and channels.
