SANTA MONICA, CA: A partnership forged with top-rated CBS
television program Survivor has resulted in a PR coup for the Elizabeth
Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGF), a Santa Monica, CA-based
research organization, whose goal is the prevention of HIV infection in
infants and children.
On the January 3 episode of Survivor: Africa, Lex, one of the four
finalists, drove a supply of HIV test kits and doses of the drug
nevirapine to Kenya's Wamba Catholic Hospital.
The show ranked fifth in the Nielsen ratings for that week, with more
than 21 million viewers.
Nevirapine is given in a single dose to a pregnant mother who tests
positive for HIV, and is given to the baby in its first three days of
life. The drug reduces the risk of transmission of HIV to the newborn by
almost 50%.
At the end of the program, Survivor flashed a toll-free number through
which viewers could find out more about the foundation and its work.
Jeff Probst, the host of the show, and Mark Burnett, the creator and
executive producer, worked in tandem with the EGF. Probst had previously
worked with the foundation as the spokesperson for its Caring For Kids
program.
The EGF and Survivor have also created a PSA that will run throughout
the rest of 2002. In addition, CBS has placed the foundation's web
address on its Survivor web page, and Kate Carr, president of the
foundation, appeared on the CBS Early Show with Burnett and ousted
Survivor Teresa, whose brother died of AIDS, to discuss the global
pandemic.
"We thought the partnership would be difficult because of the
confidential nature of Survivor, but CBS has been very flexible and
generous," said Adam Coyne, communications manager for the EGF. Survivor
even allowed the foundation to tell its donors that it was going to be
featured on the program on the day of its broadcast.
The EGF's website hits have more than tripled since the Survivor
episode.
