Profile 12. Alms, Czech Republic - Website information service on HIV/AIDS prevention

Key lesson: Small enterprise response linked to core business activities

· Business description:

IT and marketing consulting company, focused on Internet marketing and advertising, communication and public relations projects and web design. Clients include both multinational and national companies operating in the Czech Republic.

1. Motivation for action

ALMS wanted to undertake a project to contribute to the prevention of HIV/AIDS in the Czech Republic, identifying the potential of using their core business practices and skills in IT and project management. Given the fact that half of all people who acquire HIV become infected before the age of 25, ALMS recognised that as an internet-focused company they had the potential to reach young people, a high level internet user group. ALMS also identified that there was a significant lack of initiatives of this type in the Czech language on the internet and that a considerable demand existed.

2. Business response to HIV/AIDS

In 1998, ALMS designed the HIV/AIDS focused information website “AIDS Server” in cooperation with Nadace pro zivot (Foundation for Life), a Czech NGO with experience in HIV/AIDS prevention, the Third School of Medicine, and the National Health Institute. The principle goal of the website was to generate a cost-effective and accessible tool for providing young people with appropriate information on HIV/AIDS education and prevention.

The website (http://aids.alms.cz) was launched in July 1998 and 100,000 copies of a CD-ROM containing an off-line version of the website were distributed throughout the Czech Republic. The website is regularly updated and includes:

· The on-line Czech version of the book “AIDS: Facts and Hopes”; an extensive guide to the virus and prevention responses.

· An on-line virtual consulting room, acting as an anonymous question and answer facility with specialist advice provided by the project’s partners from the medical institutes.

· Information on useful HIV/AIDS literature and statistics, national HIV/AIDS service and testing institutions, other relevant on-line resources and websites and a national media monitoring service.

· Reports on the activities of Nadace pro zivot Foundation.

· An on-line questionnaire to map opinions and behaviour of the website visitors.

The costs of ongoing support, innovation and maintenance had brought the total costs in 1999 to approximately 180,000 Czech Crowns ($US 45,000), with 48,450 Czech Crowns being covered by the NGO Nadace pro zivot. In addition, a number of Czech internet content providers offered pro-bono assistance with the on-line advertising campaigns.

3. Results and lessons

The number of visitors to the “AIDS Server” website is monitored and has seen regular and stable interest. Moreover there has been an increasing number of visitors to the interactive element of the website, particularly for the on-line virtual consulting room, with increasing numbers of questions being posted.

ALMS has received particular praise for this project, being chosen as one of the top Czech internet projects by the prestigious Czech economic magazine Profit. In addition, ALMS has received extensive worldwide publicity and recognition of its work through winning a Global Business Council on HIV&AIDS award for Business Excellence in the response to HIV/AIDS. Alexander Lichy, Partner of ALMS, puts the success of this project down to developing a project that matches the company’s core business skills and technical expertise (IT, public relations and project management) with the needs of the target audience.