AEGiS-14IAC: Role of cultural folk media for the prevention of HIV/AIDS at community level.

14th International AIDS Conference


Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

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Role of cultural folk media for the prevention of HIV/AIDS at community level.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. F11776)

Mridha DR, Nandy DR, Hossen DR
Bangladesh Medical Association, Dhaka, Bangladesh

ISSUES: Cultural folk media can be an effective way of prevention and control of HIV/AIDS especially in the communities where literacy rate is poor. This is because of the reasons that message delivered in this way with the help of community people is well understood and well accepted.

DESCRIPTION: Bangladesh Women's Health Coalition (BWHC) tries to involve every stratum of the society for the prevention of HIV/AIDS and it runs its activities through clinic and community based approaches. Cultural initiative is a part of BWHC's community based activities. BWHC has 11 cultural teams at different places of Bangladesh. Each team is composed of 15-20 school going boys and girls. The cultural unit composes songs and dances; writes plays. Locally popular songs, dances and dramma are chosen and HIV/AIDS messages are incorporated in them. The message includes the danger of HIV/AIDS; how it transmits or not; ways of prevention and attitude towards PLWHA. After a series of rehearsal each group is ready to perform.

ISSUES: In 2001 BWHC has performed 32 mass cultural programs and 25 informal cultural programs and more than 1,00000 people attended the shows. The outcome of the cultural shows was excellent as most of the people (76%) attended the show could say at least 2 modes of transmission of HIV. They could also tell us about the ways of preventions. The cost involvement for these programs is not much (Less than US$200) for each show. RECOMMENDATION: Prevention and control of of HIV/AIDS with the help of folk media is effective. This is a low cost intervention and community participation can be achieved at the highest level through this initiative. This intervention can be replicated by NGOs of Bangladesh and other countries. BWHC has a plan of further expansion of the initiative and it is ready to help other interested partners by providing scripts, lyrics, audio and video of the programs.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Infections, Mass Media, HIV Seropositivity, Consumer Participation, Women's Health, Bangladesh, Female, Human, Male, prevention & control, ethnologyKWDaegis,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,hivinfections,massmedia,hivseropositivity,consumerparticipation,women'shealth,bangladesh,female,human,male,prevention&control,ethnology

020707
F11776

Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.