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Geneva, November 17 - Sony Corporation and the The
Global Fund have entered into a partnership for the implementation of behavior change projects, in which Sony provides state of the
art equipment and movies and the Global Fund ensures it gets to agencies best able to reach communities most in need. This partnership
is the first pilot case that combines pro bono and in-kind contribution.
The Global Fund facilitated the donation of the Sony equipment that includes a 150-inch screen together with a projector
and sound system that are customized for easy transport and tough outdoor conditions, to one of its partners in Tanzania, the African
Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF). AMREF then carried out the implementation of the first Public Viewing Project in the country.
The project aims to attract young people who are at high risk of HIV infection by using the donated equipment to screen
a mix of public health information and entertainment programs, including movies provided by Sony Pictures Entertainment. Around the
same time, voluntary HIV testing and counseling are offered at the Public Viewing venues.
The first Public Viewing events took place from 5 -13 November 2011 with around 4,700 people viewing Sony Picture's movies
targeting the young along with an awareness raising film as well as football matches. The viewings were held in low-income areas such as
Temeke in Dar es Salaam, as well as smaller cities like Tanga, Moshi and Arusha, where the HIV prevalence rate is high. During the
event, 2,482 people were tested for HIV.
"Early and appropriate HIV testing and counseling have important prevention benefits and are effective in controlling the
spread of the disease," said Christoph Benn, the Director of External Relations and Partnerships of the Global Fund. "We are pleased to
partner with Sony in this initiative, and hope that similar programs will be rolled out soon in other Global Fund recipient countries."
"Sony is continuing its ongoing efforts to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)," said
Shiro Kambe, Corporate Executive and Senior Vice President, Sony Corporation. "Participation in the "Public Viewing in Tanzania" project
in collaboration with the Global Fund and AMREF, exceeded our expectations, and we are confident that the project has made a lasting
contribution to HIV and AIDS education in Tanzania. Sony plans to conduct similar projects in various countries and regions, to lay
the foundations for local people to operate such projects independently, and contribute to capacity building in local communities
in the future. Going forward, Sony will maintain its unwavering commitment to fulfilling its corporate social responsibility,
and contributing to the solution of social issues in various countries and regions."
Sony's technical crew has been training AMREF staff on how to use and maintain the audio visual equipment. AMREF will continue
using the donated equipment for awareness-raising and advocacy projects supported by the Global Fund.
AMREF's Global Fund grant supports the scale up of HIV and AIDS services by strengthening capacity and coordination among key
stakeholders in the public and private sectors, civil society organizations and faith-based organizations, as well as People Living with
HIV and AIDS groups.
There are one million people living with HIV in Tanzania, out of which 450,000 need ARV treatment. At present, 250,000 of
them have access to antiretroviral therapy.
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The Global Fund is a unique, public-private partnership and
international financing institution dedicated to attracting and disbursing additional resources to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS, TB
and malaria. This partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and affected communities represents an
innovative approach to international health financing. The Global Fund's model is based on the concepts of country
ownership and performance-based funding, which means that people in countries implement their own programs based
on their priorities and the Global Fund provides financing on the condition that verifiable results are achieved.
Since its creation in 2002, the Global Fund has become the main financier of programs to fight AIDS, TB and malaria, with
approved funding of US$ 22.4 billion for more than 600 programs in 150 countries. The Global Fund works in close collaboration with other
bilateral and multilateral organizations to supplement existing efforts in dealing with the three diseases.
For more on Public Viewing in Tanzania project and other CSR activities by Sony Corporation,
please visit this web site .
For more information, please contact:
Marcela Rojo - Communications
Office: + 41 58 791 16 79
Mobile: + 41 79 540 2667
Email: marcela.rojo@theglobalfund.org
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