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Regional Broadcasters To Play Greater Role In HIV/AIDS Education
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Regional Broadcasters To Play Greater Role In HIV/AIDS Education
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Wednesday,
July 25, 2001
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Caribbean broadcasters are being called upon to play a leading role in the fight
against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The call came at a special seminar in Barbados
that was put on jointly by the Commonwealth Broadcasters Association and the
World Bank Institute for Caribbean media practitioners. The aim of the July
16-19 seminar was two-fold: firstly to inform broadcasters and journalists of
the extent of HIV/AIDS in the region and secondly to give them new ways of
reporting and educating people on the disease. According
to St. Lucia’s representative at the seminar,
the Government Information Service’s (GIS), Ayodele Hippolyte, “one
of the interesting things that came out of the seminar was that broadcasters
would have to sort of revisit their role. In other words, it’s not enough to
put out public service announcements, jingles, news reports. What came out of
the seminar was that broadcasters would now have to sort of play a leading role
in terms of advising the ministers of government, the HIV units in their
respective countries in terms of education, information and sensitisation about
the disease. It’s not enough to react, we have to become more proactive in
fighting the AIDS epidemic.” The seminar brought together approximately 30 participants from across the region. Some of the issues tackled at the seminar included the economic and social impact of the disease on the region. Statistically, the Caribbean ranks second in the world in terms of the rate of infection among the region’s populations with Sub-Saharan Africa ranking number one. It is hoped that the media will be an integral part of the campaign to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in the region and ward off what could be a developmental disaster that the Caribbean can hardly afford. |
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