Media workers and journalists cooperate to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.
Media outlets and journalists in Sana'a have participated in a three-day training workshop on HIV/AIDS, held in June 28 to 30. The workshop was conducted by Progressio and the Interaction in Development Foundation (IDF) in cooperation with the Yemen Journalists Syndicate for people working in print and electronic media. It aimed to increase their abilities to raise awareness and reduce social stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), especially women.
As a result of the training workshop, the participants announced a media association to support issues of people living with HIV/AIDS. The report, issued by the new association, said that it aims to mobilize the community's support for PLWHA through media, to adopt their cases, to create a partnership with the different institutions and associations concerned to PLWHA and to improve the language used in addressing the issues of PLWHA.
The report said that this association is voluntary and independent. It just tries to highlight the issues of PLWHA and their social, legal and economic problems, to alleviate the social stigma and discrimination against them, and to raise awareness about this disease.
HIV/AIDS pandemic presents political, economic, public health and social threats to development and challenges to nations worldwide. It has profound negative effects on the economy, the workforce, businesses, individual workers and their families and affects every strata of society, across all castes, classes and religions.
HIV/AIDS is one of the greatest social, economic and health crises of modern times. The culture of silence and denial has increased its transmission, while cultural taboos have inhibited open discussion on HIV/AIDS and its preventive measures. Shame, guilt and blame surrounded and led to stigma and discrimination.
Media has a significant role to play in the HIV and AIDS, by informing the public and working together with the government and other agencies to bring positive change in policy and practice. Albeit the absence of a cure or vaccine for HIV/AIDS, there is an urgent need to reach people through effective communication on the impact of the disease as well as the need for prevention, care and support.
This means that effective communication approaches and strategies should be identified and applied to reach people in a way that affects them emotionally and motivates them to change their behavior. It is crucial for the media and for those involved in media and HIV/AIDS prevention to understand the relationship between communication and HIV/AIDS.
HIV/AIDS can be mainstreamed into almost every news story which will begin to raise awareness and public debate because it is linked to many issues and many socio-economic and cultural factors.
Knowledge related to the provision of health care, access to treatment with ongoing research and treatment approaches, as well as knowledge of human rights which must be protected and guaranteed for all as a key component of any prevention strategies to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS are necessary.
Communicating gender requires journalists and other media persons to observe the way people may be marginalized because of their gender factors. It is needed to understand that there are news stories helping to advance gender equality and equity in society.
Reporting on HIV/AIDS from a gender perspective, requires that journalists and editors have a good understanding of gender issues, related factors and power relations. Many factors account for why vulnerability and risk differ for men and for women, and for men and women at different ages. Some are physiological, are socio-cultural and economic factors which makes women’s risk of infection higher.
There are certain words used in reporting that may lead to stigma and discrimination against PLWHA. Also responsible journalists need to be careful in the way they use the language, which should not promote stigma and discrimination of those living with HIV and AIDS. There should be guidelines to help journalists use a more appropriate language developed by journalists themselves in discussions on ethics, and by those living with HIV or living with AIDS.
Reporting on HIV/AIDS requires that journalists understand medical terms associated with the disease so that their reporting can be accurate. By correctly defining the terms, journalists are better able to do research, ask the right questions and interpret data in ways that can help the general public become better educated and informed on HIV/AIDS. Progressio is a UK-based international organization working for sustainable development and the eradication of poverty.
