Advocacy
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What is Advocacy?
● Organized
effort to influence
change/decision making
policy
● Action directed at changing approach of
an individual/institution/group
● Process to persuade all influential
individuals/groups/organizations through
dialogue to adopt an effective approach
to an issue
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Advocacy is called for when…
● Needed programs are not in place, not
being done well, or not brought to scale,
because:
● The law doesn’t allow them
● Present policies don’t fit with them
● Institutional structures impede them
● People don’t see them as priorities or oppose
them outright
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Effective Advocacy is
NOT merely:
● Increasing awareness of a problem
● Raising concern
● ‘Talking up’ possible solutions
● Getting a dialogue started
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Contd…
But since we can’t
communicate with laws,
policies or institutional
protocols…
Effective advocacy is communication for
change targeted to the people who have
the power to change the laws, policies,
institutional structures and social
environments, to reach program goals
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Contd…
Effective Advocacy is…
Communication for change targeted to
● Laws, policies and their execution
● Institutional structures and protocols
● Social and cultural environments
to reach program goals
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Contd…
Effective Advocacy is…
 Based on clear strategic thinking
 Focused on a needed change
 Limited to priority issues
 Targeted to those who can make changes
 Results-oriented
 Evidence-based
 Developed through broad-based
participation of concerned stakeholders
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Need for Advocacy in IDU Context
 IDUs are often looked down upon as
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‘criminals’, bad elements, negative influencers
on the society
IDUs remain hidden from mainstream of
society
IDUs are often not able to access general
health as well as tailored services freely as a
result of stigma
Often, NSE & OST programs for IDUs are met
with resistance from the general community
and law enforcement agencies
Society often forgets the needs of an IDU
Benefits of Advocacy
● Advocacy benefits both implementers and
IDUs:
● Implementers
 Enables them to implement their programs without
any interference or hassles from the various
stakeholders
● IDUs
 Enables them to access needed services without fear
of stigma/discrimination, ridicule & violence
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Advocacy in IDU Interventions
 Advocacy helps persuade influential
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individuals, groups and organizations to
adopt effective approaches to HIV/AIDS
among IDUs as quickly as possible
 Advocacy also aims at effectively
preventing HIV transmission among IDUs
by :
 starting
 maintaining
 increasing
 specific activities to a scale
 Advocacy assists in providing treatment,
care and support for IDUs living with
HIV/AIDS
Principles of Advocacy in an IDU TI
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 Advocacy activities should:
 Not harm
 Protect the rights of IDUs and people living with
HIV/AIDS
 Balance short-term pragmatic goals with longterm developmental goals
 Relate to evidence-based approaches and
activities
 Concentrate on both prevention of HIV &
treatment, care and support
 Target different sectors of society and key
individuals
 Use multiple channels and techniques at the
same time
 Involve IDUs and PLHAs in planning,
implementing and evaluating
Steps in Advocacy
Conducting analysis of
the situation
Developing an
advocacy strategy
Undertaking action to
achieve advocacy goals
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Regular monitoring &
evaluation to assess the
outcome
Advocacy Matrix – An Example
Possible
Stakeholders
Peers
Pushers/peddler
Local club
Sexual partners
Police
Policy makers
Lawyers
NGOs/CBO
Condom outlets
Pharmacy
Doctors/healthcare providers
ICTC/RNTCP/ART
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Family
Power/
Influence
Expected role
in intervention
Planned
strategy/
Activities
Expected
Output
Advocacy with Law Enforcement
Working with law enforcement agencies and gaining their
support for harm reduction services is essential to avoid the
police targeting IDUs or the staff who work with these IDUs.
Key strategies include:
 Involving senior-level police officers in the planning and
development of harm-reduction services
 Letter of support from them for harm-reduction services
 Education for police officers working in areas with
known drug use/peddling
 Using supportive police officers in advocacy work with
other police officials
 Periodic visits to the local police stations
 Organizing HIV awareness meetings with the police
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Key Learning
 Advocacy is the key to an enabling
environment for IDUs to access available
HIV prevention and related services
 Advocacy helps program staff to
implement their projects without
interference and risks from groups
 Advocacy is successful if it is planned and
executed with active involvement of the
IDU community
 An effective advocacy strategy must
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clearly identify specific target audiences
Contd…
Key Learning
 In order to reduce the stigma that is
associated with injecting drug use and
associated HIV, awareness programs are
necessary for the general population
 Creating an enabling environment for the
community is one of the fundamental
prerequisites of community mobilization.
Advocacy activities help to create this
environment
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