October 11, 2006|
|
|
|
October 11, 2006 |
The Daily Monitor (Addis Ababa) Biruk Girma The radio program will air programs that tell of the every day experiences and challenges of people living with HIV in Ethiopia, according to officials from the Johns Hopkins's CCP which launched the radio service at the Ghion Hotel. The series aims to decrease the stigma and discrimination that HIV positive people face in Ethiopia by exposing the human face of living with the disease and providing a plat form for creating discussions on these issues among the general public, officials said. Briefing reporters on the objective and rationale of the radio program at the Ghion Hotel on Thursday, programme officials said they were drawing from significant achievements of similar radio programs in Africa in fighting stigma and marginalization of people living with HIV. "Our research elsewhere in Africa has convinced us that the diaries really can help reduce the stigma of being HIV positive," said Sofnias Nega of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of public Health center for communication programs (CCP) "For the very first time the Audience will hear how very like themselves an HIV positive person can be. Over time, as the diary is broadcast, the listener can develop a relationship with the diarist, and share in their trials and challenges." According to the officials, the diaries will highlight the everyday lives of people living with HIV and will be broadcast weekly on three Ethiopian radio stations. The new radio service will be managed by the national AIDS Resource centre (ARC) in Addis Ababa and builds on similar projects run by CP in Nigeria and Malawi. The diarists are people who know their status and are willing and able to talk about their situation honestly, openly and with clarity, organizers said. The radio diaries will be aired on FM 97.1 Addis on Tuesdays and Fridays at 3:05 pm, Radio Awassa FM on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:05 pm and on Radio Fana on Tuesdays at 7:25pm, it was learnt. The project is run by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of public Health center for communication programs (CCP) in collaboration with the National HIV/AIDS prevention and control office (HAPCO) and is funded by the President Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Copyright © 2006 The Daily Monitor.
Find article online:
|
|
Return to today's news ...