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HIV/Aids, media needs to bridge information gap
2007-03-21 08:47:30
By Guardian Reporter
On Friday March 16, 2007 Population Services International (PSI) Tanzania conducted a forum for Features Editors at the Dar es Salaam International Conference Centre.
The purpose of this forum was to meet with the editors and give them insight into the activities of PSI Tanzania in the country.
PSI is a non-profit organization that harnesses the vitality of the private sector to address the health problems of low-income and vulnerable populations.
With programs in malaria, reproductive health, child survival and HIV, PSI promotes products, services and healthy behaviour that enable low-income and vulnerable people to lead healthier lives.
Products and services are sold at subsidized prices rather than given away in order to motivate commercial sector involvement.
Major donors include the governments of the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands; the Global Fund, United Nations agencies, private foundations, corporations and individuals.
Opening the forum, PSI Tanzania Executive Director, Nils Gade, said,`PSI needs the media to disseminate information on health therefore it is important the media gets the information from us.
The media should see us as a resource centre and contact us anytime to get information so that they can disseminate it to the public. Without the media, our efforts would be futile.`
The forum was characterised by presentations and question and answer session based on the presentations and any other questions that had been nagging people about the various products marketed by PSI Tanzania.
It was important to learn that currently HIV-Prevalence in Tanzania is 7.0 per cent; prevalence among women is 7.7 per cent and 6.3 per cent among men. Two million people in Tanzania are living with HIV/Aids.
For this reason PSI Tanzania launched the salama brand of condoms to improve the health status of Tanzanians.
Why Salama condoms? Asked the participants.
The PSI Tanzania officials explained that salama condoms had been tested and it was proven that they are highly effective in preventing sexually transmitted infections.
However, the Executive Director said that though they would prefer to see people using salama condoms, the bottom line is people should use condoms and they would be delighted in seeing a rise in condom use regardless of the type because the effect is people will be protected.
The salama brand of condoms is now available in three types namely, Salama regular condoms launched in 1993, Salama Studs launched in 2004 and Salama 3 bomba launched in 2006 these types are meant to give choice to the users.
If you don’t like one type, you will definitely like the other and that will promote condoms use.
PSI targets risky groups in its campaign against spread of HIV/Aids.
The vulnerable groups are, youth 15-24 –most vulnerable and easier to adapt to changing behaviour, high risk groups- key transmitters of HIV like commercial sex workers, truck drivers etc and the rural population which mostly suffer from lack of information on HIV.
According to Patricia Chale the marketing manager for salama condoms and waterguard, PSI uses balanced strategies that are appropriate for different groups.
`We promote :Abstinence and delayed sexual debut to young people who are not yet sexually active, mutual fidelity and condom use for those active but in stable relationships and condoms and partner reduction are promoted to high risk groups and the general population exhibiting high risk behaviour,` says Patricia.
PSI uses quite a number of methods to disseminate information on HIV/Aids and some of the methods are: Community based interventions the likes of road shows, cultural shows- mass media, the likes of tv, radio, local & national and billboards.
Training is also another means of disseminating information for PSI and it comes in the form of workplace interventions, schools and partnerships with other NGOs.
There are also direct interventions like Mobile Video Units, promotion events, concerts, sport tournaments and the Amua Newsletter which is distributed in schools.
There are quite a number of challenges because HIV is highly stigmatized.
There is the trusted partner syndrome which has become a huge barrier for condom use.
People tend to trust their partners to the extent that they do not want to use condoms.
There is also this stigma associated with condoms and it is preventing young people from buying or getting condoms because they will be stigmatized.
Religious groups are highly against condom use making it difficult for some people to get them.
It was rather enlightening to learn that PSI is considering introducing a programme that will cater for married couple for it is they who are at risk of contracting the disease.
They do not want to use condoms because they say they are married yet they are the ones who are perishing most.
Commercial sex workers are better off because they know they are at risk so they always insist on protected sex which makes them safe.
As it stands, there is dire need to work with married couples towards correct and consistent condom use.
We cannot afford to increase the number of orphans that we currently have.
On the question of religious leaders fighting against condom use, one seasoned scribe, Lawi Joel, raised a very interesting point and I am sure religious leaders would be delighted to learn what he said.
He argued that religious leaders are right because they fight on moral stand, morally its wrong to be promiscuous therefore they teach people to be righteous and cannot encourage condom use.
Condom use should be taught outside the church so that those who fail to obey the law can be saved through condom use therefore in a way we can say those who are teaching condom use are fighting the scourge from one end whilst the church is fighting it from a moral point of view.
The forum went on to discuss other issues like fighting malaria and provision of safe drinking water. These will be looked at in upcoming articles.
Whatever you do remember AIDS kills. It is the duty of the scribes to spread that message and we should not only spread the message verbally but also through the way we live.
Remember action speaks louder than words.
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