AIBD is now creating a network of expertise to forumulate minimum quality standards for HIV prevention activities undertaken by media. This, it is expected will lay the foundations for quality standards in development oriented campaigns undertaken by media.

While a large number of drugs are now available to treat AIDS, complete cure is not yet in the horizon. And as such, media still remains the most important tool in reducing the pace of spreading of HIV. Though media has been actively playing a major role in HIV prevention, it is not easy to measure the impact on the behaviour that leads to reduction of the possibilities of infection. In fact, there is even a viewpoint that media plays a negative role by mixed and wrong messages. Under such a situation, it is necessary to make sure that the media output for preventing HIV infection must follow some minimum quality standard that assures positive impact on the media consumers.

Secondly, media represent only the frontline attack against HIV. NGOs, national AIDS control organizations, international agencies and medical professionals and researchers are immediately behind for follow through action. It is necessary to co-ordinate and synergise the activities of these sectors for successful control of HIV.

Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development with support from UNAIDS is attempting to create a minimum quality standard for HIV prevention activities undertaken by media and to suggest ways to bundle these with the activities undertaken by the other sectors.

In developing standards, we need to define the terms that describe media products and list the processes that lead to these products. The questionnaire below represents the first consultation with media houses to ensure that the standard so developed is acceptable and could easily be put into practice.

The expert group met first in March to discuss the broad areas to be included in the standards. A whiteboard was created to fill up the details before the second meeting. Now the second meeting is scheduled for end of May. The draft of the minimuim standards is expected to be ready by middle of June.

Last updated 07.05.08 14:12 by Madhu, Project Reference G-253-MY-08