Public interest and increased demand in HIV testing caused by Yury Dud film prompted for the initiators of the international #InYourPower award to re-consider approaches to selection of nominees.
And it was quite expected decision that for the first time a journalist and a blogger Yury Dud became a nominee for the award, which previously was awarded only for mayors and politicians working in the area of combating HIV. And the nomination for Yury Dud is one of a kind – #DudEffect.
«We decided to support the decision to nominate Yury Dud for #InYourPower award. It’s simply impossible to pay no attention to such worldwide landmarking awareness raising effect in the area of HIV. This case drew attention of the highest public officials in Russian Federation and proved that you don’t necessarily need to be a politician to impact epidemics. First of all, you need to be involved and have something core inside in order to put your gift and media opportunities for the sake of millions of people who will stay alive as a result of timely testing. We are sure that such stories can drastically speed up overcoming the epidemics», – said Inna Gavrylova, the coordinator of the #InYourPower info campaign.
For the moment the application for nomination is sent to the Committee of Trust and will be reviewed during 2 weeks. Everyone who is willing to support Yury Dud and give a vote to him can do this at the web site https://inyourpower.life.
Prehistory
«From the very first day when HIV-2020 film was demonstrated we started to get requests from different countries to nominate Yury for the #InYourPower award. Everyone mentioned that drastic interest and impact to HIV detection produced by him, – Inna Gavrylova told. – We discussed this within the team and decided to attentively follow-up on the measurable impact produced by this case and not on discussion of Yury’s personality. That is how the post appeared about superior popularity of requests related to “HIV” and soaring interest (+ 4100%) of the Internet users ho HIV testing».
It’s interesting that the post caused new wave of publications in media which started to actively discuss that #DudEffect in action and tell how the film made people all around the world to think of their health and take HIV test.
So, in many media outlets, they switched from theory to practice: real facts were recorded in increasing numbers of people willing to be tested at AIDS centers, mobile outpatient clinics, testing centers based on NGOs, and record-breaking demand for tests was declared in pharmacies. “In large cities, the number of people willing to take the test has doubled,” says meduza.io.
In the comments on the Dud’s film, many of the viewers reported that they’ve already taken or are going to take an HIV test, and some admitted that the test was positive. They even wrote that this is “the very case when one person does much more than large-scale state educational info campaigns”.
Further on, politicians also started talking about the film and the problems of the HIV epidemic raised in it.
According to Gazeta.Ru, on February 14, a film by Yury Dud about the HIV epidemic in Russia was shown in the State Duma (Gosduma); it was the initiative of the first deputy head of the committee on health protection Fedot Tumusov.
Also, the film, which gained almost 15 million views by February 21, was appreciated in the Kremlin. Russian President’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov called the film by journalist and blogger Yury Dud about HIV in Russia a good one. This is reported by RBC. Moreover, according to Peskov, it is important that the Ministry of Health was “familiarized” with this work.
Deputy Minister of Health Oleg Salagay previously called this film “useful.” According to Salagay, the film provides a lot of important information about HIV, it can also encourage people to get tested and get the necessary treatment, but presentation of some facts in this video is “arguable”.
The Chairman of the Accounts Chamber, Alexei Kudrin, promised to test the effectiveness of measures taken to help HIV-positive people.
The tremendous excitement in testing, more than 15 million and video views perfectly demonstrated that even without political power or a magic wand you can influence the history of entire states, destroy entrenched bonds and help millions save their lives.
It turned out to be the power of a journalist and a blogger.