AFRO-NETS> New Ethiopian Radio Show Encourages HIV/AIDS Prevention

[Cecilia Snyder <csnyder@ccmc.org>]

New Ethiopian Radio Show Encourages HIV/AIDS Prevention
-------------------------------------------------------

November 21, 2001 -- A new radio serial drama that begins airing this 
Sunday, Nov. 25, in Ethiopia is designed to encourage young adults to 
protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancies by depict-
ing characters engaging in either risky or safe sexual behavior.

Ethiopia has been devastated by HIV/AIDS. According to the CDC, 
Ethiopia has just one percent of the world's population, but nine 
percent of the worldwide cases of HIV/AIDS. The disease has orphaned 
more than 700,000 Ethiopian children and more than a million people 
have died due to AIDS. 

Journey Through Life is a 26-episode series that uses the principles 
of "entertainment-education" to promote healthy behavior among the 
listening audience. The program is designed to appeal to young mar-
ried couples and unmarried adolescents in urban and semi-urban areas 
of the country. 

"We are hoping Journey Through Life will help Ethiopians understand 
just how easy it is to become infected with the AIDS virus," said 
Araya Demissie, country representative in Ethiopia for Johns Hopkins 
University Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP). "But we also 
hope the program will convey just how easy it is to protect your-
self."

JHU/CCP, with the support of the U.S. Agency for International Devel-
opment, provided technical assistance to National Office of Popula-
tion in Ethiopia in developing the new radio series. JHU/CCP is a 
leader in the field of entertainment-education, which uses music and 
television, radio, and live drama to deliver public health messages. 
JHU/CCP is working to increase the ability of African countries to 
write and produce high quality entertainment-education programming. 

In Journey Through Life, one of the sub-plots involves a husband and 
wife becoming ill after the husband has an affair with a prostitute. 
They soon discover that the husband contracted HIV/AIDS from the 
prostitute and they are both infected. The story also examines the 
plight of orphans in Ethiopia, including those orphaned when their 
parents died of AIDS and children that are abandoned as a result of 
unwanted pregnancies. 

Public health messages are interwoven throughout the story to encour-
age the audience to practice family planning, be tested for HIV/AIDS, 
and protect themselves from HIV/AIDS by abstaining from sex, being 
faithful to one partner or using a condom. 

"By portraying characters the audience can identify with in an enter-
taining format, we hope to encourage healthier behavior," said Demis-
sie. "Some characters are vulnerable, but others are empowered as 
they take steps to protect against unwanted pregnancies and dis-
eases."

JHU/CCP is a pioneer in the field of strategic, research-based commu-
nication for behavior change and health promotion that has helped 
transform the theory and practice of public health communications. 
With representatives in more than 30 countries, JHU/CCP has been a 
leader in the development of projects based on systematic needs as-
sessments and clear strategies for positioning and presenting the 
benefits of health interventions to appropriate audiences. 

To find out more about JHU/CCP, go to:
http://www.jhuccp.org

Kim Martin
Chief, Media Relations and Advocacy
Center for Communication Programs
Johns Hopkins University
111 Market Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21202, USA
Tel: +1-410-659-6140
Fax: +1-410-659-6266
mailto:kmartin@jhuccp.org

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