The Challenge: Moving Beyond “Awareness” For years, HIV messaging in Zambia was functional but fragmented. While people knew what HIV was, young people (aged 15–24) specifically felt disconnected from the services available. They told us that healthcare workers could be judgmental and that information wasn’t accessible in the digital spaces they occupied.
To reach the 2030 goal of epidemic control, Zambia needed more than a slogan, it needed a lifestyle brand that resonated with the “sugar daddy” generation, university students, and young professionals alike.
The Solution: Designing “Zambia Ending AIDS” (ZEA) Working as a key implementing partner alongside the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Council (NAC), our team utilized Human-Centered Design (HCD) insights to develop the “Zambia Ending AIDS” (ZEA) campaign.
This wasn’t just about billboards. We built an ecosystem of over 180 communication products designed to empower youth to “Take Control” of their health.
1. Digital Innovation: The ZEA Chatbot Recognizing that youth demand privacy, we pioneered the ZEA Chatbot on WhatsApp (+260767475955). This automated tool allows young people to ask sensitive questions about PrEP, condoms, and STI testing 24/7, without fear of judgment, bridging the gap between curiosity and care.
2. Storytelling for Change: “I’m In Control” We moved beyond lectures to entertainment. We produced “I’m In Control,” a 13-episode television drama series. The show followed the life of a girl moving from a rural town to university, modeling real-life decision-making on sexual debut, relationships, and HIV prevention.
3. Campus Engagement: The IPC Toolkit To target higher learning institutions, we developed the University Interpersonal Communication (IPC) Toolkit. This guide empowered peer navigators to lead “safe space” discussions on campus, addressing power dynamics and consent directly.
The Impact: A National Movement By combining this high-level branding with our “Total Market Approach” to distribution, we achieved massive scale:
- Product Reach: We facilitated the distribution of 19.4 million condoms and 248,000 cycles of oral contraceptives, ensuring that the demand created by the campaign was met with immediate supply.
- Audience: The campaign’s multimedia approach reached an estimated 2.7 million individuals, shifting the national conversation from “fear” to “control”.
Today, “Zambia Ending AIDS” is not just a project title, it is the national identity of the HIV response. We are proud to have laid the foundation for this enduring platform.