The second in the series of the countrywide media trainings on reporting key populations was held in Livingstone yesterday the 30th of August 2018 with National AIDS Council Acting Director General Mr. Fortune Chibamba calling upon journalists to help prevent new HIV infections through accurate coverage of the epidemic.
Addressing journalists from all the districts of Southern Province at Cross Roads Lodge, Mr Chibamba said public education and awareness in the media were potential social vaccines against HIV infections.
The media, Mr Chibamba said, has tools and skills to promote awareness and increase people’s education on HIV and AIDS and provide factual information on ways of stopping the epidemic.
The media practitioners were encouraged to fully acquaint themselves with provisions of government policies and strategic documents to disseminate to their respective audiences.
“In order to play your part well in this regard, you need to keep yourselves abreast with government policies and strategies guiding the national multisectoral response to HIV and AIDS in Zambia,” Mr Chibamba said.
Participants drawn from both print and electronic media houses in Southern Province were challenged to confront stigma and discrimination as main barriers to HIV prevention interventions.
The media were also called upon to initiate public dialogue which should promote and encourage people to obtain and use condoms, encourage men to seek voluntary medical male circumcision and increase demand for HIV testing, counselling and treatment services.
The media trainings are aimed at making journalists appreciate and ultimately contribute to the removal of barriers faced by key but marginalised population groups in accessing different HIV services because of prejudices held by society against them.
The National HIV and AIDS Strategic Framework (NASF) 2017-2021 identifies 13 key sub population groups which experience different types and levels of vulnerabilities. These groups included people living with HIV, prisoners, migrants, people living with disabilities, adolescent girls and young women, people who inject drugs and sex workers.
Others are gay men other men who have sex with men, transgender people, children and pregnant women living with HIV, displaced persons and people aged 50 years and older.
Compiled by the Communications Unit
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