TWITTER today launched another global expansion of its #ThereIsHelp notification service with a dedicated search prompt for HIV-related information across Asia Pacific and the Americas: Brazil, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, SP-Latam, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United States. This notification prompt will provide valuable and authoritative resources around HIV and encourage people to reach out and get help.
Building on the #ThereIsHelp notification service currently available for mental health and suicide prevention, vaccination, child sexual exploitation, Covid-19, gender-based violence, and freedom of expression; this work is part of Twitter's efforts to ensure people have access to high-quality public health information and resources.
When people search for keywords associated with HIV, the top search result will now include a notification in local languages, encouraging them to reach out for credible information and sources of help — be it websites or hotlines of local public health authorities or nonprofit organisations.
Twitter will continue to work closely with public health authorities and leading NGOs that provide critical emergency care, testing, emotional support, and counselling services to ensure that the keywords that generate the notification prompt remain relevant. Some of the search keywords include but are not limited to:
- English: #AIDS, #HIV, #PEP, #PrEP, #KnowYourStatus
- Bahasa Melayu: ditularkan secara seksual, Kesihatan Seksual
- Simplified Chinese: #艾滋, #世界艾滋病日
Commenting on the global partnership with Twitter; Mahesh Mahalingam, Director, Communications and Global Advocacy, UNAIDS said “Forty years since the first AIDS cases were reported, HIV still threatens the world. But ending AIDS requires ending inequalities, which necessitates transformative change. The course corrections we need to end AIDS will also protect the world against future pandemics. Therefore, we are very pleased to partner with Twitter in our journey ahead.
"This World AIDS Day, we’d encourage everyone to use #ThereIsHelp to access critical information around HIV, and remind ourselves that global inequalities affect us all, no matter who we are or where we are from. Together with Twitter, we hope to move societies from commitment to action by widening access to authoritative information, encouraging dialogue and shaping public discourse towards creating healthy and inclusive societies.”
Commenting on the global partnership with Twitter; Mahesh Mahalingam, Director, Communications and Global Advocacy, UNAIDS said “Forty years since the first AIDS cases were reported, HIV still threatens the world. But ending AIDS requires ending inequalities, which necessitates transformative change. The course corrections we need to end AIDS will also protect the world against future pandemics. Therefore, we are very pleased to partner with Twitter in our journey ahead.
"This World AIDS Day, we’d encourage everyone to use #ThereIsHelp to access critical information around HIV, and remind ourselves that global inequalities affect us all, no matter who we are or where we are from. Together with Twitter, we hope to move societies from commitment to action by widening access to authoritative information, encouraging dialogue and shaping public discourse towards creating healthy and inclusive societies.”
“We’re committed to protecting the health of the public conversation on Twitter – ensuring individuals can find credible information from authoritative sources is a key part of that mission. We also recognized that it is crucial for the public to have access to a free and #OpenInternet in combating the stigma around HIV. Therefore, we are partnering with public health authorities and local nonprofit organizations across Asia Pacific to provide people with access to accurate information about HIV via launching a dedicated #ThereIsHelp notification prompt for HIV.
"We look forward to continuing the collaborations to help promote understanding around HIV by the general public and fight against HIV stigma and discrimination,” said Monrawee Ampolpittayanant – Head of Public Policy, Government and Philanthropy, Southeast Asia at Twitter.
HIV stigma during Covid-19
HIV remains a major issue to public health in 2021, despite significant progress having been made in recent decades. Division and disparity for human rights have long been the contributing factors to the difficulty faced by people living with HIV. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has made it more difficult by exacerbating inequities and disruptions to services related to HIV. In 2020, around 800,000 children aged 0-14 years were living with HIV with no access to treatments.
This year’s theme of World AIDS Day is 'End inequalities. End AIDS' with a special focus on highlighting the growing inequalities in access to essential HIV services. WHO is calling on global leaders and citizens to rally to confront the inequalities that drive AIDS and to reach people who are currently not receiving essential HIV services.
Data from Twitter shows that conversations about HIV spikes around #WorldAIDSDay on December 1 every year. In 2020, there were close to 9 million Tweets about HIV globally, out of which over 1 million Tweets were generated in December 2020.
At Twitter, we recognise our role and responsibility to help ensure that people can access and receive support on our service when they need it the most. The various communities on Twitter are a source of positive support and are thriving; encouraging each other who may be struggling with stigma or lack of information around HIV, and to reach out for professional help.
United to help provide more access to information
We recognize that access to a free and #OpenInternet and collaboration – public, private and community – is the key to combating the stigma around HIV. As local organisations continue to use Twitter as a channel to identify and reach out to vulnerable people who they may otherwise not have contact with, and to raise awareness of their important services; we hope that the #ThereIsHelp notification service will complement these efforts.
Twitter partners with trusted NGO and government partners in 30 markets to make #ThereIsHelp HIV notification prompt possible, and will continue to expand these prompts in other markets in the near future. In Malaysia, they partnered with Kuala Lumpur AIDS Support Services Society (KLASS) (@MyKLASSorg).
“KLASS has always been focused on complementing existing services provided by the Ministry of Health of Malaysia, with our full spectrum of services encompassing prevention, testing, treatment and care. In order to effectively end the onward transmission of HIV, KLASS believes that a multi-prong approach is needed to serve and protect our communities.
"Essential components include increased access to condoms, lube, PrEP & PEP; Wider range and availability of testing sites; choices of treatment centres; and stability of care and support services. KLASS has been guided by our principles of: engage, educate, empower, enable and encourage. New avenues of communication like Twitter Spaces and #ThereIshelp search prompt is the perfect partner for KLASS in achieving our goal to end AIDS,” said Megat Nifail Luqman - Outreach Worker, Klass. – The Vibes, December 1, 2021
