Eastern and Southern Africa Media Strategy against HIV/AIDS

The project objectives are to:

• develop awareness among media professionals in the region on the socially and culturally sensitive approaches to dealing with the subject of HIV/AIDS.
• enhance the quality and quantity of information and communication materials on HIV/AIDS for journalists, publishers, media owners, and training institutions in the region.
• develop a core of high-level journalists and other media professionals to produce communication materials and programmes in the printed and electronic press for general consumption and advocacy.
• enhance the exchange of "best practice" in information and communication in the region.
• enhance media programme impact monitoring and evaluation for the orientation and design of media interventions according to specific socio-cultural and geographic characteristics of the focus population.

The project strategies and activities include:

• Sensitisation and orientation of key decision makers in the print and electronic media of the region on issues of HIV/AIDS and current knowledge and perspectives on the pandemic through regional workshops for print editors and broadcast programme and news managers.
• Enhancement of the quality and quantity of information and communication materials on HIV/AIDS for journalists, publishers, media owners, and training institutions in the region through a regional resource centre for journalists on HIV/AIDS, including research and documentation of generic information, education, and communication (IEC) materials on HIV/AIDS for regional distribution. Establishment of mechanism for distribution of IEC materials through traditional media and new information and communication technology (ICT).
• Setting up of a network of media institutions that will produce and disseminate culturally sensitive information and communication on HIV/AIDS.
• Development and maintenance of intra-regional, inter-regional, and continental exchange networks for collaborative action on HIV/AIDS.
• Production and dissemination of information and communication material on HIV/AIDS through the creation of specialised databases in the countries with a participatory model.
• Adaptation, translation, and duplication of information and communication material on HIV/AIDS across languages, print, electronic, and new ICT media including the establishment and maintenance of websites and interactive databases for public access.
• Establishment of national and regional media awards for outstanding work in HIV/AIDS IEC.
• Setting up of a monitoring and evaluation database for impact analysis and feedback generation for all stakeholders.
• Monitoring and evaluation of project outputs to provide inputs for further development. Include audience knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) surveys and content analysis of media output on HIV/AIDS.

HIV/AIDS, Media Development.

According to the project, the spread and prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Eastern and Southern Africa is the highest in the world and it continues to grow exponentially. However, in most African communities within and outside these regions, open discussion of the subject of HIV/AIDS and its proper coverage by the mass media have continued to be inhibited, mainly due to cultural and social taboos and stigma. Consequently, the quantity and quality of media output on HIV/AIDS falls far below the level required for its potential impact in the fight against the pandemic. This situation has been found to be similar in all the countries of the region.