Page 150 - Social Marketing for Public Health Global Trends and Success Stories

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Summary and Implications 123

residents of the urban areas of Lima and Callao. This financing will enable the
Ministry of Health to develop more community-based surveillance programs,
to initiate compulsory testing for tuberculosis for all prisoners, and to then ad-
minister first- and second-line treatment to those diagnosed with the disease.
Through the collaborative work of WHO, Harvard Medical School, and others,
successful negotiations with pharmaceutical companies are giving countries
like Peru an opportunity to purchase second-line drugs for tuberculosis at
deeply discounted prices, once the countries demonstrate that they have the in-
frastructures for distribution. This is lowering the price of the course of drugs
from more than US$10,000 per patient to US$3,000 per patient (The Global
Fund, 2003).

SU M M A RY A N D I M P L IC ATIONS

Authors of the “The Role of Communication in Peru’s Fight Against Tuberculosis”
mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, shared 10 lessons they believe are valu-
able to other countries developing TB communication strategies:
1. Political commitment is essential, especially when combined with increased
resources.
2. Communication activities should be strategically timed to correspond with
improvements in clinical services.
3. Integrate communication activities into all program activities at all levels.
4. Formative research can unlock key communication challenges.
5. Communication programs are more effective when consistent messages are
conveyed through a mix of mass media and interpersonal communication.
6. Involve the community and local healthcare providers, including private prac-
titioners, in the TB control program.
7. Create partnerships at all levels.
8. Put some effort into reaching the hard-to-reach, especially if they have high
prevalence rates.
9. Create a positive and encouraging culture.
10. Simple and consistent messages can help the public recognize TB cases.
(Llanos-Zavalaga et al., 2004)
From a social marketing perspective, several strengths of this effort are note-
worthy, contributing to its success:

• Program planners recognized there were multiple and unique target
markets to influence: patients, their families and friends, healthcare
workers, media, pharmaceutical companies, and political leaders.