02201 GRASSROOTS MEDIA CRY OUT: WHAT MICROBICIDES?
Olufemi-Kayode, Princess
Falobi, F.
Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria
Issue: The need to create awareness, acceptability and readiness of microbicides at grassroot level via mass media relevant in Nigeria. The 2001 surveillance survey was 5.44% result graduated to 5.8% in the 2002 survey with the rural (grassroots) areas recording a high level of prevalence.
Description: A training workshop for media practitioners in Ekiti State in Nigeria was facilitated by JAAIDS, a media-based NGO for media practitioners in collaboration with Ekiti State Action Committee on AIDS (SACA)along with Department for International Development (DFID) for 45 journalists comprising of media managers, gatekeepers, reporters, programme producers and newscasters in both print and electronic media.
A pre-workshop questionnaire survey was employed to test the Knowledge, Attitude And Perspective (KAP) of the participants on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support and a post-workshop questionnaire was utilised. The Female Condom (FC) and microbicides. Also, the FC and microbicides section caused quite a stir as they have never seen or heard of the FC less microbicides.
The participants took a high interest in other preventive options particularly for women and requested for information flow so as to make information known to the general public. Lesson learnt: This experience encouraged JAAIDS to seek funding to support a national grassroot training of journalists on other prevention options as well as other issues relating to HIV/AIDS. The project is currently on-going Recommendation: Mass media and people at the grassroot very essential to successful acceptability and readiness for microbicides product
Source: http://www.microbicides2004.org.uk/abstract/posters/ab_02201.html