Call for articles to the regional network ( the feature service)
UNAIDS
   
UNESCO
   
UNDP
   
UNICEF
   
UNFPA
   
WHO
   
Twenty years after the HIV virus was isolated, the disease continues to ravage countries across the world, profoundly altering the course of development in many societies. Millions of people have been killed, millions more continue to suffer. Families have been affected, lifestyles altered. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in a so far unsuccessful attempt to develop a vaccine. In no area of the world has the effect of the HIV/AIDS pandemic been more dramatic than in Eastern and Southern Africa.
The media have played a sterling role in creating awareness around the problem, sensitizing communities and societies of the dangers and the challenges the disease poses, and the responses that have been inspired by individuals and communities across the region.

Feature articles for 2007

Nandika Amatieku, Nairobi Kenya
Child prostitution
Captures the enormity of the issue of child prostitution in the coastal town of Mombasa, brings into focus the lapses in the law and its implementation in the elimination of the child prostitution.
Jan Ajwang, Kampala, Uganda
Circumcision and HIV/AIDS
An interesting capture of the debate on the results of the test on circumcision and HIV/AIDS. While it does not endorse it, the article clearly brings out the views and issues around this emotive issue.
Steve Mkawale, Nakuru,Kenya
Church wedding for a positive couple
An interesting story on the wedding of a couple who are knowingly positive, goes into some depth to demystify the whole issue, and brings into light the rights of those living with the virus. The story is accompanied by very capturing pictures
Dereje Mekonnen, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Glimmer of hope in the new Millenium
An article on HIV/AIDS and the young people, that awareness campaigns and use of contraceptives are having their desired results in the reduction of rates of infection
Interested persons and groups are welcome to use our stories, for publications or airing, get in-touch with the web-master at: webmaster@lovelifemedia.co.ke.
Mr. Alonso Aznar-UNESCO's former Regional communication Advisor during the launch of 2006 Red Ribbon Award
Although they continue to make outstanding contributions in the campaign against HIV/AIDS, it apparent that media are showing a bit of fatigue. Many journalists and editors are feeling that the HIV/AIDS story has been told and that there is nothing really new to report. This is wrong and dangerous.
Media still have a lot of work to do. Media must continue to highlight the dangers of this disease as the campaigns move from merely creating awareness to sketching the processes and the impact. They must continue informing the large populations in the region that do not yet fully appreciate the ramifications of the disease to person and community, and equally make the case for more resources to be put into providing ARVs to those infected.
Media must stop treating HIV/AIDS as a health story because it is also a political, economic, social and cultural story. It is local, national and global. Stories must continually make these connections.

Training of Trainers for Community Radio

UNESCO's Communication and Regional Office of Eastern Africa, in conjunction with Eco-News Africa, organized a two week training of Trainers Workshop for Community Radio Stations in Eastern Africa. The training focused on production of radio programmes with special emphasis on HIV/Aids. It took place from August 27- September 2, 2007 in Nairobi. This was in the spirit of strengthening the capacity of journalists in reporting HIV and AIDS under the Eastern and Southern Media Strategy against HIV and AIDS. Download a complete report on the workshop.

Realising the challenges that confront media – resource challenges, inadequate professional capacity in newsrooms, inadequate capacity to geographically cover large areas, low quality reports from correspondents, etc, UNESCO has initiated a project to help improve reporting on HIV/AIDS.
Through this project, UNESCO and its implementing partner, Lovelife Media Africa, have set up a network of journalists in Eastern and Southern Africa that will be encouraged to report on HIV/AIDS and have their reports distributed widely through the web. The reports will be of high quality and will be entered for the Red Ribbon Award, another activity within the project.
The countries covered by the project include Burundi, Rwanda Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia , Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia; Seychelles, Madagascar, Comoros, and Mauritius.

The Red Ribbon Award

2007 EDITION-NACC SPONSORED

The aim of the HIV and AIDS Red Ribbon Media Award for Excellence in Journalism is twofold; first, to identify and reward exceptional reporting on HIV and AIDS, and second, to motivate journalists to increase their frequency of coverage on the subject, in their outlets. The award covers three categories, namely: Radio, Television, and Print.
The call for entries for the 2007 Edition has been made. Entries are currently being submitted More information

 

 

 
Information centre

Get the latest publications, Newspaper reports in all the countries in the Eastern and Southern African Region.
community Radio trainers work on a project during the training workshop held in Nairobi.
Training manual for HIV/AIDS reporting.