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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2000
JHU/CCP Joins Voice of America, Black Entertainment Television and
Other Partners in HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign in Africa
In Cape Town, South Africa, and Beira, Mozambique, the Voice of America (VOA) will produce World AIDS Day concerts and other related events in partnership with private broadcasters, nongovernmental organizations, and local communities to combat HIV/AIDS. The Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP) , which has nearly 20 years of experience in strategic communication for behavior change, is assisting VOA in developing a series of public service announcements for these events. Black Entertainment Television (BET), Cable Positive, the cable and communications industry's AIDS action organization, and World Vision , an international Christian humanitarian organization, whose efforts in Africa include aiding tens of thousands of AIDS orphans, have contributed more than $75,000 to produce these concerts and other events. The contribution served to honor Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) Chairman and cable industry leader Marc Nathanson. The Freeplay Foundation is donating wind-up Freeplay radios to 24 schools in Cape Town so students will be able to listen to HIV/AIDS related programming on Bush Radio.
This unique venture will include concerts with local and international talent, teen town meetings, and public service announcements centered around the December 1 World AIDS Day. In Cape Town, South Africa on December 1, Bush Radio will host a hip-hop event with local talent including BVK (Brassie Vannie Kaap), a popular hip-hop group; Mr. Devious, an emcee/rapper about to release his debut album; Innadiflo, a popular Cape Town Kwaaito group; and others.
In Beira, Mozambique on Dec. 2, Radio Pax will host a day-long festival with traditional and contemporary local musicians, dancers, and theatrical performers. Featured groups include Asem, a theatrical group composed of orphans from Mozambique's civil war; Rapazes do Campo, a group from a district which suffered massive floods last year; and two nationally known musical groups, Rastilho and Licuba. The concerts will reach out to at-risk youth of high-school age with messages about HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, and tolerance.
Speaking at the November 14 press conference in Washington D.C. to announce the partnership, Dr. Karusa Kiragu, a behavior change communication specialist from JHU/CCP, described the unique role that local media have to play in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa, including success stories in Africa. In Uganda, JHU/CCP implemented a hip-hop campaign geared to adolescents entitled "Safer Sex or AIDS: The Choice Is in Your Hands", which encouraged youth to think about their sexual behavior. Further the Ugandan supported and still favors widespread messages about HIV/AIDS prevention via radio. Researchers have documented a two-year delay in the onset of sexual activity among youth. Throughout Africa, JHU/CCP partners with the commercial sector to get out the message of HIV/AIDS prevention and what steps can be taken to stop this horrible disease in its tracks.
Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) Chairman and cable industry leader Marc Nathanson commented on the critical need to combat HIV/AIDS internationally. He discussed the combined efforts of U.S. government sponsored international broadcasting and Cable Positive.
Ms. Debra Lee, President and Chief Operating Officer of BET outlined her company's commitment to develop specialized programming on HIV/AIDS issues over the course of the coming year.
Dr. Joe Riverson, a Ghanaian-born medical doctor and HIV/AIDS specialist, commented on World Vision's efforts to assist AIDS orphans in Africa.
For more information contact: Dana Weckesser at Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs, 111 Market Place, Suite 310, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, USA. Tel: 410 659-6300; Fax: 410 659-6266; E-mail press@jhuccp.org
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