STOP HIV Campaign

The project used various types of media to offer dialogue and advice to young people on how they can protect themselves against HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The BBC WST sees HIV and AIDS as part of the social dimension of young people's lives, and addresses the issue within its social context. This translates into discussion on-air on all things that matter to young people between 15 and 24, including the role of gatekeepers like parents and community leaders. The mass media output produced was designed to contribute to National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA)'s national strategy on behaviour change communication (BCC). The BBC WST sought to complement the objectives and approach of SFH and recognised the potential for mass media to deliver important information to different audiences using different outputs simultaneously. By appreciating that audiences can be at many different points of the decision-making continuum, the BBC WST sought to respond to the variety of information needs of a heterogeneous audience. Within each of the project's outputs, thinking was informed by a range of attitude change, persuasion, and media effects literature. In particular, the BBC WST's approach to using mass media explicitly recognises the importance of stimulating interpersonal communication (IPC) in behaviour change.

The STOP HIV approach was based on the principles of social marketing, where entertainment is used to promote acceptance and recall of messages on sexual health. The BBC WST produced:

• Two radio discussion programmes - Flava and Ya Take Ne, weekly radio talk shows in Nigerian English/Pidgin and Hausa, respectively, explored issues around HIV and AIDS, sexual health, and gender. The programmes featured a mix of discussion, music, interviews, features, phone calls from listeners, and letters. Topics covered included: the stigma of being HIV-positive at work and at home, how to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child, HIV and marriage, family planning, women's rights, and HIV in schools. The programmes aimed to serve as an open forum for young people to talk about issues that concern them, including relationships, personal development, life-skills, youth culture, and sexual and reproductive health. Flava was broadcast in English by 50 radio stations, while Ya Take Ne was broadcast in the Hausa language by 35 stations.
• Radio and television public service announcements (PSAs) - Hundreds of PSAs were produced in Nigeria's 4 most widely spoken languages (English, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba). The spots ranged in length from 30 to 60 seconds and drew on a variety of formats, such as drama, personal testimony, comedy, music, and celebrity endorsements to carry HIV- and AIDS-related messages. The PSAs were played on most radio and TV stations across the country.
• A television drama series - Wetin Dey ('What's Up?'), a 30-minute weekly TV drama series exploring the social realities facing young people in Nigeria. Fifty-two episodes were produced by a Nigerian team trained by the BBC WST, and broadcast at peak viewing times by the Nigerian Television Authority's network of television stations.
• Films - Stop HIV worked in partnership with the Nigerian video film industry ("Nollywood") to incorporate HIV- and AIDS-related messages into the storylines of a number of films. The films were produced (on low budgets) by local directors and production teams with guidance from the BBC WST. The storylines and messages of the films relate to HIV and AIDS, but do not focus exclusively on these issues and are designed to appeal to large audiences. Messages include promoting condom use and discussing discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS. The BBC WST also took advantage of the fact that video films are well distributed across Nigeria, primarily through regional film "markets" and video clubs.

As part of STOP HIV, the BBC WST provided radio and television production training to broadcast partners. Radio workshops included training in talk show and radio spots production, and training in integrating audience feedback into programme production. Television and film training focused on script-writing, PSA production, editing, and production of reality TV programmes. In addition to teaching technical production skills, training courses promoted increased and more accurate coverage of HIV and AIDS in all media, and aimed to counter the stigma and discrimination faced by people living with HIV and AIDS.

HIV/AIDS, Youth.

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS, 2006), one-quarter of all Africans live in Nigeria, the country with the third-highest number of HIV cases in the world (an estimated 2.9 million [1.7 million-4.2 million] people were living with the virus in 2005).

A baseline survey was carried out in 6 Nigerian states - Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Cross Rivers, and Enugu - at the beginning of the project to assess the media consumption habits of the intended audience. Midway through the project, a midline survey was carried out in the same 6 states to assess the impact that STOP HIV was having on audiences.

At the Asia Media Summit, "Stella", a STOP HIV PSA, won the World Award for best PSA on HIV and AIDS.