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THE LANCET • Vol 363 • January 24, 2004 • www.thelancet.com 295

NEWS

Shopping ‘til we dropSix babies die in Russia from hospital-acquired infectionSpanish editor sued over rofecoxib allegationsAustralian drugs scheme threatens free-trade talksThai HIV vaccine trial prompts angry exchangesIOM calls for universal health coverage by 2010Suicide rates rise among soldiers in IraqNews in briefDrive to improve patient choice within the NHS

UN secretary-general KofiAnnan hosted a round-

table meeting at the UNheadquarters in New York onJan 15 to launch the GlobalAIDS Media Initiative—aproject to help increaseawareness of AIDS by use ofinternational media.

Executive representativesfrom over 20 broadcast mediacompanies were invited topledge their support and tocommit airtime to entertain-ment programmes involvingAIDS-related storylines.

“As leaders of the media,you have the power and thereach to disseminate theinformation people need toprotect themselves fromHIV/AIDS”, Annan tolddelegates.

The round-table eventmarks the beginning of the“international phase” of amedia campaign started byUS organisation the KaiserFamily Foundation and mediagiant Viacom, early last year.What initially started out as aprogramme of public-serviceannouncements, with printand outdoor advertising, hasnow grown to include progra-mmes broadcast on televisionnetworks from severalcountries around the world.

In his opening speech,Annan urged delegates torecognise the power ofpublicising health messagesthrough entertainment media.“Education and entertainmentare not mutually exclusive”,he said. “If a well-knowncharacter in a populartelevision series has toconfront HIV or AIDS, thiscan have a dramatic effect on

viewers who may not havewatched a non-fictionprogramme about theepidemic.”

Roy Head, who runs thehealth arm of the BBC WorldService’s charitable division,the World Service Trust, hasbeen working on a televisioncampaign in India, inpartnership with the country’sNational AIDS ControlOrganisation, and has helpedput together a crime drama inwhich the central character isHIV positive. The serial,called Detective Vijay, is abouta private investigator whosetime is spent travellingthrough rural India solvingcrimes. Unlike most of India’sTV heroes, however, Vijay isHIV positive.

“The key thing is not tomake HIV the main point ofthe story”, Head explained.“You can’t just make ‘the HIVshow’ because no one wouldwatch it.” Proving Head’spoint, Detective Vijay hasbecome incredibly popular. Itis in India’s top 10 televisionprogrammes and scooped ascriptwriting award last year.“It doesn’t quite beat thecricket”, Head laments, “butits certainly very popular.”

He believes entertainmentis a far more effective way ofgetting messages out to largepopulations than using factualbroadcasts. Using the exampleof Detective Vijay, he assertsthat television really canchange people’s attitudes.

“We did a survey of around10 000 people, only 7% ofwhom said they had evertalked about their bodies withanother human being”, Head

explained. “But after watchingthe drama, 30% said they hadchanged their behaviour insome way, be it going for atest, or starting to usecondoms.”

Several other broadcastershave also produced AIDSprogrammes. For example,MTV international has set upa campaign called StayingAlive, which includes specialprogramming, concert events,discussion groups, and adedicated website.

The South AfricanBroadcasting Corporation haseven extended their HIV-related coverage to includechildren’s programming. AnHIV-positive muppet namedKami has been introduced inTakalani Sesame, the SouthAfrican version of SesameStreet, to encourage childrento play with school friendswho may have HIV.

Print media were noticiblyabsent from the meeting inNew York. However, BillGates, whose philanthropicfoundation provided fundingfor the event, is committed toputting HIV on the news

agenda. “I’m enthusiasticabout supporting programmesaimed at training journalistsfrom developing countriesabout basic medicine andscience behind diseases suchas HIV/AIDS, TB, andmalaria”, he said in hisopening speech.

All attendees at the eventwere invited to sign astatement recognising theseriousness and scale of theAIDS epidemic and to resolvethrough their companies “toexpand public knowledge andunderstanding aboutHIV/AIDS”. But gettingmedia executives to sign theirname to such a statement isjust the first step to increasingAIDS awareness world wide.

“Programme producers arecrucial too”, commentedHead. “But it is reallyimportant that the entireorganisation makes this policypart of their central focus . . .Without commitment fromthe top levels, this kind ofissue can get swept aside”, headded.

Hannah Brown

Kami the HIV-positive muppet helps children learn about AIDS

AP

UN urges broadcasters to air AIDS programmesEntertainment is better than factualfilms for increasing awareness

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