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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 2001
KUBA AIDS Prevention Campaign Launch in Rwanda Draws
Close to 50,000 Spectators, Ten First Ladies
Campaign Promotes Abstinence, Fidelity and Condom Use Among Youth KIGALI, RWANDA - A HIV/AIDS prevention and education campaign got off to a rousing start on May 20 in Kigali when nearly 50,000 people showed up at a free launch concert in Amahoro stadium that featured international music stars and the first ladies of ten African nations in attendance.
 The "KUBA" campaign, a program of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP), is targeted at young adults and promotes abstinence, fidelity and condom use (which roughly translates to KUBA). AIDS has hit Rwanda's youth particularly hard, with a 6.9 percent prevalence rate of HIV infection for those ages 15 to 19. With an overall prevalence rate of 12.5 percent, Rwanda's leaders are taking emergency action to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.
"We need to reach out to Rwanda's young people, who are suffering the devastating consequences of this epidemic," Said Dr. David Awasum, resident advisor of JHU/CCP. "Music can capture the hearts and minds of young adults and this concert succeeded in sending HIV/AIDS prevention messages to tens of thousands."
 The May 20 concert, which also reached another one million radio listeners, featured Jamaican reggae artist Natty Dread, South Africa's legendary Brenda Fassie and Rwanda music "queen" Cecile Kayirebwa. The musicians promoted AIDS awareness and prevention messages throughout the evening. Rwandan President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeanette Kagame danced the night away with first ladies from Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali and Nigeria who were in Rwanda for the Summit of African First Ladies.
 After the launch concert, JHU/CCP continued to carry the KUBA message through Rwanda with an event at Butare University on May 27 and another concert in Gitarama on June 3. JHU/CCP will now actively seek to develop partnerships with local musicians, actors, donors and others to expand the KUBA campaign and continue to reach young adults through media that appeals to them.
In addition to the famous artists present on May 20, several local artists warmed up the crowd with the KUBA messages, such as:
- The future is now, To protect it, make a KUBA decision;
- The strength of our youth lies in the KUBA. To live healthy and strong, make a KUBA decision; and
- Do not get hot if you have not got it. Condoms prevent AIDS and STDs.
The Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP) is a pioneer in the field of strategic, research-based communication for behavior change and health promotion that has helped transform the theory and practice of public health. JHU/CCP has been a leader in the development of projects based on systematic needs assessments and clear strategies for positioning and presenting the benefits of health interventions to appropriate audiences. With representatives in more than 30 countries, JHU/CCP has developed and managed over 300 country-based projects and contracts in 50 countries involving more than 200 local organizations and subcontractors. The KUBA campaign is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
For more information contact: Kim Martin at Johns Hopkins 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. WEB SITE: http://www.jhuccp.org PRESS ROOM: http://www.jhuccp.org/pressroom
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