Skip navigation

CAMEROONIAN EXPERIENCE IN COMMUNITY RADIOS FOR HIV/AIDS

Ayuda

CAMEROONIAN EXPERIENCE IN COMMUNITY RADIOS FOR HIV/AIDS

CAMEROONIAN EXPEREIENCE IN COMMUNITY RADIOS FOR HIV/AIDS. RESEARCHER ABSTRACT. AUTHOR : FOUSSENOU SISSOKO.

1 Context.

Various organizations in Africa have established programmers and projects media and HIV/AIDS prevention and management. These experiences differ on terms of results and funding. The Communication and Information sector of UNESCO cluster office in Dar-es-Salaam/Tanzania, for example, initiated a project which focused on Community radio-groups in collaboration with UNAIDS, WHO, Institute of Adult Education, Christian Social Services Commission. To set up this project UNESCO cluster office is going to be inspired by the Cameroonian Experience on Community radio-groups

  1. Cameroon Historical Context.

In 1990, Cameroon’s political landscape changed from a single party state in multiparty politics. A Bill on social communication promulgated into law 1990 repealed all previous legislation that enforced censorship. This was followed for the adoption of a new Constitution which enshrined the right to freedom of expression with citizens having the rights to demand and receive information if national importance. In 2000, another Decree liberalizing the media landscape was published providing condition and modalities for setting up audiovisual media in Cameroon... Prior to 19901 audiovisual broadcasting was the exclusive preserve of the Cameroon Radio Television, a State-owned media. Liberalizing the audiovisual landscape in 2000 gave the leeway for private FM and Community radio stations on crop up throughout the national territory with UNDP, UBESCO and UNICEF establishing fifteen (15) FM community radio stations through the Governance Programme.

2.1. Community Radio Programming.

Programme production for the community radios must involve community commitment as the programmes must reflect community needs, preferences so as to facilitate change social progress and better living conditions for the Community, Individuals, and groups of Individual. Governments or NGO’s officials must be encourage to participate in development radio programme on vital area such as health, HIV/AIDS, education and agriculture., which are of particular interest to the community at large.

2.2. TRAINING.

Community radios have quite often have a personnel who are all animators with little or no knowledge of radio broadcasting .Fir that reasons training sessions are very necessary and often organized for the radios animators. After initial training, refreshed training sessions are organized. Below is the aspect s on which the animators are trained: - Professional Ethics and Code of Conducts. - Collection and procession (treatment) of news. - Journalistic genres. - Programme and Programming. - Animation technique. - Specialised Reporting (Health, HIV/AIDS, Education, Environnement etc.)

  1. Research’s Report on Cameroonian Experience . The Chapter one of the reports highlights on HIV/AIDS in Cameroon: background, trends and projections. Estimate of the prevalence and spread of HIV/AIDS point to a very rapid increase in infection rates (5, 1% estimation 2004). People living with HIV/AIDS are rising with alarming spread (540.000 estimation 2009). Chapter two, the role of community radio in reporting HIV/AIDS. It is an overview of the role that the media should play in addressing HIV/AIDS issues in the community. This includes dissemination information to raise community awareness and promoting prevention... The chapter three and proactive reporting techniques. Seminars and workshops are re-designed to ensure that the community radio--practitioners adopt the pro-active approach in the coverage of HIV/AIDS prevention and management issues in the community. The chapter for is dedicated in search to the information about HIV/AIDS on the net. OUTCOMES. Cameroonian’s community radio--practitioners came to understand the importance of the HIV/AIDS work and pledged to sensitize both government and community. LESSONS LEARNING. More than 300 community radio-practitioners have their own agenda, their own areas and interest.

Foussénou Sissoko. Communication –Health and HIV/AIDS Expert.

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

I also want to share with you

I also want to share with you the activities of CameroonLink, a non governmental organisation in Camerroon- Africa, headed by retired Cameroon Journalist James Achanyi Fontem. He is also head of the Association for the Support of breastfeeding in West Africa. As Mr. Sissoko stated in his report, the media has been liberalised in Cameroon and there are several community and private radio stations in Cameroon. But, there is a great problem with regards tro content of what is broadcast by most private radio stations. Many carry on messages by tradi practitioners who claim to treat illnesses like HIV-AIDS and Cancer. Educating those who work for such radio stations therefore is extremely important and that is what i always did each time i had the opportunity of going on air in any radio. We at Lebialem Cultural and Development Information Portal operating in the South West region of Cameroon have been working to that respect, just as Cameroon Link which is also doing a tremendious job all over Cameroon.

However, what must be admitted is that, with no direct source of funding or advertisement most of private radio promoters in Cameroon have to rely on some of the advertorial/messages from tradi-pratitioners to raise revenue. The situation is alarming.

However, while private radio have the tedency for broadcasting such information, it is not often the case with community radio stations though the later equally ahve serious problems of training, equipment and finance. There is also the need to provide some of these broadcastersd especially those who specalised in health communication with neccesary didactic tools like brochurres, books on how they can effectively communicate on the subject with they cover.

. There is therefore the urgent need for those who can afford it to help in the training of rural/ community radio broadcasters in Cameroon and also any other support neeeded in terms of ideas, material or financial. Click on this link http://www.youtube.com/user/camlink99 to have a look at some activties of Cameroon Link or you may have a look at their U-tube channel. http://www.youtube.com/user/camlink99 Everly Agendia Aloysius. Comunication chair, Lebialem Environmental and Development Information Portal, Associate, Cameroon Link.

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
Impact: Social and Behavioural Change
¿Necesita ayuda?

Blog

El blog le permite a su equipo comunicarse por medio de publicaciones y discusiones en torno a preguntas. Es un gran lugar para compartir progresos, discutir cambios y explorar ideas.