AKBC RADIO AND HIV/AIDS CAMPAIGN A STUDY OF THE LISTENING PUBLIC OF AKBC
CHAPTER ONE
PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING
In a world ravaged by various economic racial, religious and cultural divisions, health remains the most important. Health according to oxford advanced dictionary (1998) define health as the state of being well and free from illness in body or mind. Unfortunately, this notion has been altered by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It has steadily and stunning affected different lives by its destruction.
HIV has been described as a specialized parasite of a usually cunning kind. Microbiologist understood too well how the view uses the human body’s own defenses as its mechanism for production. Commenting on this, Kalu (1999) observes that an aid is a progressive, degenerative disease of several major organ of the human system. Death often results from a variety of reason such as infections that occurs once. As infections that occurs once the immune system fails, destruction of the brain, wasting of the body or from career that frequently appears in aids patients.
In the same vein, research has shown that HIV/AIDS does not just affect the human health but also threatens development. Mueke (2003) also added that “the development destabilizes society and is amplified and fuelled by wars, civil strife and movement of people”.
The first case of aids was formally diagnosed in Nigeria, Nigeria in 1986 and since then, there has been a steady rise from 1.8% in 1993 to 3.8%. In 1994, 4.5% in 1996 and 5.4% in 2001, implicit in this figure is that more than 3.5 million Nigerians are already living with HIV/AIDS and its toll on health, psycho-social, social-economic and demographic status of the people can no longer be ignored
It remains the greater threat to human existence worldwide judging by the worsening global statistics. Since 1986, when the first AIDS cases were reported in Nigeria, the dramatic spread of the disease in the country in recent years pointed to an unprecedented health crisis of serious magnitude and severity. Nigeria ranks second within sub –Saharan African for the number of HIV infected adults (UNAIDS 1999). In Nigeria, the highest HIV prevalence can be found among young adult between 25-29 years with an average of 6.5% follow closely by teenager (young people) between 15-19 years with an average of 6.1%. The youth, the future of Nigeria are the worst affected group. The significant of the 5.8% HIV prevalence rate is that Nigerian has entered a stage where the epidemic will increase an exponential rate unless adequate national and regional responses are mounted to stem its spread (2002) HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, overview of the epidemic) the disease is incurable.
The first few cases recorded in Nigeria were seen commercial sex workers (prostitute) in Lagos and some others cities in the country like Enugu, Benin, and Port Harcourt. In September 1991, the federal ministry of health and social science reported officially that out 50 125, 500 61000 samples screened for HIV infection nationwide 830 were Stereo-positive giving a Sero- prevalence rate of above 0.66 parent and later increase to 1.9 percent. Then in December 1992, 552 Aids cases were reported and this figures came from most state of the federation thus, confirming the existence of HIV infection nationwide out of the numbers of blood samples screened, blood donor constituted 35 percent, blood transfusion in Nigeria counted for 10 percent while the greater part of the infection is as a result of sexual relationship especially among the prostitute population now increasing at alarming coordinating.
The latest report according to united nation agency coordinating to penitence (UNAIDS) “nearly 30 million African live with HIV/AIDS data from the federal ministry of health shows that about 400,000 to 500, 600 Nigerian maybe infected with the aids virus. In other words scholars have argued that prevention is the only cure that AIDS has. These calls for effective prevent strategies organized by the media to counter the rapidity spread of AIDS. According to Encyclopedia American, the world’s first radio broadcasting was made by Reginald Fessenger on December 24th 1906 when the station in Massachuset to transmit voice and music to nearby ship and shore stations. During the first half of the 19th century radio was introduced with the Nigeria, precisely in 1932. This was under the British Empire broadcasting services. In 1957, the Nigerian broadcasting service was created by the central government to nature and expends the wireless service and later takes over the redifusion service.
Nwundi (1986) until 1978, Nigeria had four broadcasting organization. The first most widely dispersed was the NBC owned by the federal government. The other three were owned by the former regional government, of the north, the west and the east. These other three broadcasting service include the western Nigeria broadcasting service (WNBC) established in 1959, the eastern Nigeria broadcasting service (ENBC) established in 1960. For various reasons, radio broadcast has been considered by many to be the best for campaign against HIV/AIDS.
HIV/AIDS is a threat to humanity. If equally leads to untimely death. This disease is a serious concern throughout the whole world health organization (W.H.O) (1994) has warned that if appropriate care is not taken, everybody worldwide would be a victim. This is so because no other disease has ever threatened human existence like the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The role of the mass media in any society goes beyond the ordinary act of news gathering and dissemination to shaping opinions and interpretation of new event.
Through their informative, educative entertaining and socializing functions, the mass media affect people’s attitude and behaviour (Myron 1983) there is no doubt whether there are abundant health message on AIDS cautioning the masses on the need for behaviour change but despite the AKBC radio campaign against the deadly disease, many Nigerians and especially those resident at Uyo still appear not to believe in its existence despite the incessant warning by the AKBC radio on how to prevent them. This raises the question of whether or not AKBC radio has generated significant impact in creating awareness, through her programmes among Uyo residents.
- The Objectives of the Study
- To find out the frequency of listeners exposure to HIV/AIDS campaign on AKBC radio.
- To determine the objectives of HIV/AIDS campaign on AKBC radio
- To access the impact of AKBC radio’s HIV/AIDS campaign on listeners in Uyo Vis-à-vis programme objectives.
- To determine the extent of effectiveness or ineffectiveness of radio as a medium for HIV/AIDS campaign.
- What is the level of exposure of Uyo listener to HIV/AIDS programme on AKBC radio?
- What are the objectives of HIV/AIDS campaign on AKBC radio?
- What are the impacts of AKBC radio HIV/AIDS campaign on AKBC listeners?
- How effective or ineffective is the AKBC radio as a vehicle for HIV/AIDS campaign in Uyo.
- Significance of the Study
The importance of the problems militating against the success of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) campaign in Nigerian especially among Uyo listeners. Also the findings will assist in planning ways to reducing the transmission of this deadly disease.
The outcome of this study will help to alert the Uyo listeners on the dangers inherent in AIDS. This study is both a resources and a challenge to media practitioners as it affords them then opportunity to reflect and research for a way forward in the struggle against HIV/AIDS.
