THE USE OF EDUTAINMENT COMMUNICATION STRATEGY BY THE SOCIETY FOR FAMILY HEALTH, IN CONTROLLING THE PREVALENCE OF HIV/AIDS

THE USE OF EDUTAINMENT COMMUNICATION STRATEGY BY THE SOCIETY FOR FAMILY HEALTH, IN CONTROLLING THE PREVALENCE OF HIV/AIDS

CHAPITRE ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction to the Research

According to the 2006 Census data, Nigeria has a population of 149 million people. It is a country with 36 states and 744 Local Government Areas. According to the numbers, Kaduna State has a population of roughly 6, 200, 000 people, with the Kaduna North Local Government Area having a population of approximately 357, 694 people. Though certain areas of the country are more impacted than others, no state or community in the federation is immune to the impacts of HIV/AIDS. Every state in Nigeria has seen an increase in the HIV epidemic among its general population.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has reached critical proportions. Since 1991, when 1.8% of Nigerians were estimated to be HIV positive, the adult prevalence rate has steadily rising. Nigeria has spread beyond the generally recognized high-risk populations, indicating a widespread epidemic.

Because the epidemic primarily affects adults between the ages of 15 and 49, it poses a threat to the economy. This has serious repercussions for the country’s progress toward social and economic development, as well as for Nigerian citizens’ quality of life. As a result, the country chose and committed to a multi-sectoral response incorporating all social and economic sectors that can influence or be affected by the epidemic’s consequences. The National, State, and Local Government AIDS Control Agencies will be primarily responsible for advocating the country’s proactive approach to reacting to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS launched its complete National Strategic Framework for 2010-2015 in 2010. Among the goals of the project were to reach 80% of sexually active adults and 80% of the most vulnerable populations with HIV counseling and testing by 2015, to ensure that 20% of eligible adults and 100% of eligible children are receiving antiretroviral therapy by 2015, and to improve access to quality care and support services for at least 50% of people living with HIV/AIDS by 2015.

The preceding is consistent with Millennium Development Goal 6 of addressing HIV/AIDS in underdeveloped nations. Initially, Nigeria produced the HIV/AIDS Emergency Action strategy (HEAP, 2001-2003), which was to serve as the country’s short/medium term strategic strategy for combating the pandemic using a multisectoral approach. The HEAP was designed around two strategic components: creating an enabling environment by removing socio-cultural, information, and systemic barriers, hence stimulating community-based solutions; and specific HIV/AIDS interventions aimed at those infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS. The National Strategic Framework (NSF, 2005-2009) succeeded HEAP, with the goal of reducing HIV/AIDS incidence and prevalence in Nigeria by 25% by 2009. The NSF is a tool for meeting the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy’s (NEEDS) objective of tackling millennium development goals related to HIV/AIDS. It is intended to be led by the commercial sector and governed by the public sector.

Several partners have joined the national response, and many activities are being carried out by various stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations, donor agencies, and the public sector at all levels of government. These partners noted that using only radio, television, and newspapers (traditional media) did not appear to favorably catch people’s interest in the battle against HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. As a result, they implemented a multifaceted communication plan that incorporates the engagement of all stakeholders in the fight against the epidemic.

This study will examine one of these initiatives, which was carried out by one of the partners, the Society for Family Health in Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State, utilizing an enter-educate communication technique. This non-governmental organization is in charge of implementing the Global Fund Round 5, which began in January 2007. The project’s purpose was to reduce HIV/AIDS-related mortality and morbidity. Furthermore, on January 19, 2009, the Society for Family Health endorsed the ‘Enhanced National Response (ENR)’ initiative, which aims to ensure sustainable behavior change around HIV/AIDS perception. The ENR is a six-year initiative financed by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) that operates in seven Nigerian states, one of which being Kaduna.

All of these initiatives are aimed at long-term behavior modification in the battle against HIV/AIDS.

1.2 Formulation of the Problem

According to the 2014 data of the Kaduna State Agency for the Control of Aids (KADSACA), Kaduna State was the second highest state with an HIV prevalence rate of 7% in 2008. It was also projected that in 2007, around 177,600 persons in Kaduna State were living with HIV/AIDS, 14,900 pregnant women were HIV positive, and 29,600 adults and 6200 children required Anti Retroviral Therapy in the state.

HIV prevention messages were delivered to a significantly lower number of sex workers. While regular condom use among sex workers with their clients has been found to be exceptionally high, many do not use condoms consistently during intercourse with partners. However, reaching out to male sex workers with HIV prevention messages is especially important because condom use with clients is exceedingly low among this group, especially when compared to female sex workers.

Because of the high HIV prevalence recorded among high-risk populations, as well as their link to the broader community, these individuals should be prioritized in HIV prevention programs. Nonetheless, HIV prevention messages are not reaching these people in significant numbers. Laws prohibiting sex workers’ activities are a major obstacle to obtaining HIV prevention programs. In Nigeria, for example, same-sex relationships are punishable by 14 years in prison. There is fear that this would restrict access to HIV services for the commercial sex workers sector.

Another significant aspect impeding the fight against HIV/AIDS in Nigeria is the issue of sex education, particularly in the country’s north. Sex has always been a very private topic in the country, and discussing it with teenagers is frequently considered unacceptable. Previous initiatives to provide sex education for young people in Nigeria have clearly been thwarted by some groups, particularly religious and cultural authorities.

According to the above reports, there is a gap between people’s HIV/AIDS awareness and other competing variables, as well as a failure of traditional media coverage of the disease, particularly in rural regions. As a result, more effective and multidimensional communication tactics were required. Society for Family Health (SFH), a non-governmental organization, has since joined other partners in using multi-dimensional communication approaches, among other factors, to ensure sustained behavior change in order to address the rise of the menace not only in Kaduna State, but throughout Nigeria.

The Society for Family Health conducted this study to assess the effectiveness of the use of Edutainment communication strategy- an aspect of Strategic Communication- in reducing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among the most vulnerable groups in Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

1.3 The Study’s Aims and Objectives

The study’s main goal is to determine the effectiveness of the Society for Family Health’s edutainment programs in changing the behaviors of high-risk groups toward positive sexual activities in order to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS in Kaduna North Local Government Area. As a result, the specific goals are as follows:

1. To assess the relevance of the SFH Edutainment strategy to the awareness of HIV/AIDS among the Most-at-Risk-Populations.

2. To analyze the impact of the SFH edutainment technique on the attitudes of the most vulnerable populations concerning HIV/AIDS.

3. To assess the preventive actions taken by Kaduna North LGA’s Most-at-Risk-Populations as a result of SFH’s edutainment campaign strategy.

4. To assess the impact of SFH’s edutainment technique on the attitudes of the most vulnerable populations toward those living with HIV/AIDS.

1.4 Research Issues

This research aims to answer the following questions:

1. Has the SFH Edutainment program aided in convincing MARPs of the presence of HIV/AIDS?

2. To what extent do MARPs feel HIV/AIDS is a fatal disease?

3. How has the SFH edutainment technique aided MARPs in adopting precautionary steps to avoid developing or spreading HIV/AIDS?

4. How has the SFH’s Edutainment method altered people’s perceptions about HIV/AIDS patients?

1.5 Importance of the Research

It is constructive to discover a solution- where basic problems arise in the socioeconomic, sociopsychological, and sociopolitical structures of society, and then research is undertaken to compare the linked variables for social connections. As a result, the fight to control HIV/AIDS spans the globe. The study will be carried out to assess the effectiveness of an international organization’s efforts in changing the behaviors of Kaduna North LGA’s Most-at-Risk-Populations. As a result, this research will be extremely valuable to international organizations, donor agencies, mass communication researchers, students, and the general public, as the threat affects everyone in some manner.

1.6 The Study’s Scope

The HIV/AIDS pandemic affects every community in Nigeria and the world at large. As a result, data for this study could be gathered from all sectors of society. However, in order to collect data, this study focuses on the most vulnerable groups in Kaduna North Local Government Area.