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| Home News | | 18 media houses launch HIV/Aids policies | DAILY NEWS Reporter
Daily News; Sunday,November 16, 2008 @20:11
| A LANDMARK step in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Tanzania's media industry is to be marked today when 18 media houses launch their workplace policies on HIV/AIDS.
By formulating the policies, the media are definitely responding to a threat which emanates from the recently released fact by the Tanzania Health Index Survey 2007/8 that, "by 2020 Tanzania is projected to lose 9% of its (in economic terms) most productive population due to HIV/AIDS".
The essence of the policies to be launched by the Executive Chairperson of Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS), Dr Fatma Mrisho, is prevention, treatment, care, support and reduction of stigma and discrimination within the media houses.
The Houses whose policies are ready for the launching event to be held at the city's Kilimanjaro Kempinski hotel are Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC), Tanzania Standard Newspapers Limited (TSN), The Guardian Limited, Free Media Limited, Radio Tumaini and Tumaini Letu Newspaper, Sahara Communication Publishing Company Limited and Tazama Newspapers Co Limited.
Others are World and Peace Organization (WAPO), Business Times Limited (BTL), Clouds Media Group, Emen Nyakati, Free Media Limited, Global Publishers and General Enterprises Ltd, Hoja Newspaper Ltd, Kiongozi Newspaper, Media Solutions Ltd (MSL), Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL), New Habari (2006) Limited and Independent Television (ITV) and Radio One.
Ms Halima Shariff, Country Director of USAID/Health Policy Initiative that focuses on HIV/AIDS, family planning and reproductive health under the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) said over the past year, her organization in collaboration with the AIDS Business Coalition of Tanzania (ABCT) and the Media Owners Association of Tanzania (MOAT) have been implementing a joint programme with a goal to establish HIV/AIDS workplace policies in media houses.
"This effort is a result of a rapid assessment of media houses that revealed that despite their commendable role in promoting HIV/AIDS education and advocacy, media houses lacked defined HIV/AIDS workplace programmes and policies," said Ms Shariff, herself a veteran journalist.
She said, HPI in collaboration with the Association of Journalists Against HIV/AIDS in Tanzania (AJAAT) conducted a rapid assessment of the media houses to determine HIV/AIDS awareness, perceptions, attitudes and on-going activities towards the end of 2006.
Thereafter, she said, HPI facilitated dissemination of the findings to media houses and other stakeholders. The findings highlighted gaps that include lack of workplace programmes; low knowledge; risky behaviours and practices all of which fuel the spread of the virus.
"During this meeting, MOAT executives committed themselves to join forces in ensuring that media houses instituted workplace policies and/or programmes and everything started here," remarked Ms Shariff.
According to Ms Shariff, the four partners (HPI, ABCT, AJAAT and MOAT) conducted consultative meetings at various levels and with senior media managers with an intention to solicit support and determine the approach in engaging media houses.
"Consultations with MOAT Secretariat began on March 7, last year...and next week (Monday) we are witnessing the results," a vividly joyful Ms Shariff said."The policies cover awareness creation, fighting stigma, how to treat those who are affected, encouraging voluntary counselling and testing, how to maintain confidentiality, and other aspects," explained Henry Muhanika, Executive Secretary of MOAT ahead of the launch.
"Wee need to sensitize the media and since media are on the forefront of communication, once we sensitize them, we can also educate the nation," added Richard Kasesera, Chief Executive Officer of ABCT. | | View Visitor's comments on this Story
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