Africa Goal 2014
Africa Goal is an exciting and innovative project which harnesses the popularity of the football World Cup to address HIV and AIDS in the region of the World most affected by the epidemic. By naturally drawing crowds of those most at risk of HIV infection who have proven the most challenging to reach through more conventional health promotion methods – young people and, particularly, men – the World Cup provides an invaluable opportunity to provide HIV services, raise awareness and disseminate information about HIV and AIDS.
Following the success of the 2006 and 2010 Africa Goal campaigns, the Africa Goal team will drive from Kenya to Swaziland, screening live World Cup matches on a big screen and harnessing the opportunity to provide HIV and AIDS information and services to the crowds that gather to see the games. Driving through eight African countries, the team’s journey follows the “AIDS Highway” through Eastern and Southern Africa, where increased mobility and migration in conjunction with rising disposable incomes and the associated escalation of transactional sex along this central transport and trade route were major contributors to the rapid spread of HIV through the region.
By showing live World Cup matches at border towns, truck stops, fishing villages and rural outposts along the route, the 2014 Africa Goal Project creates an ideal platform to reach some of the most at risk and hard to reach populations in the world with life saving information and services. Throughout the campaign, Africa Goal partners with community based organisations to ensure that content shared is both culturally appropriate and relevant to local contexts. In this way, Africa Goal takes on a facilitating role by drawing the audiences, whilst local service providers are supported to maximize the potential of the World Cup as a platform for HIV service provision.