(Nhan Dan Online) The minor project called “Support to the Voice of Vietnam in producing and broadcasting an entertainment-education radio programme for positive behaviour change on HIV/AIDS Prevention” is supported by the Danish International Development Agency with US $770,000. The Long-term objective is to contribute to improving the quality of life for the Vietnamese people through improved quality of and access to reproductive health services.

This new minor DANIDA-project in co-operation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will support information for the Vietnamese people, especially young people. This will be done through strengthening the capacity of the Voice of Vietnam radio (VOV) in producing and broadcasting an entertainment programme for behaviour change on HIV/AIDS prevention.

This is the second project funded by DANIDA to support the VOV in broadcasting an education/counselling programme on reproductive health for young people. The former project with VOV was to broadcast a phone-in radio programme called “Window of Love”. This programme was well received by young listeners and the government officers.

The lack of awareness and inappropriate understanding of HIV/AIDS are the main factors that contribute to stigma and discrimination of people infected with HIV/AIDS in Vietnam. Vietnam’s mass media organisations (radio, television, print newspapers, online newspapers, films, etc) have made active contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS through long-standing and systematic campaigns.

This project will use a serialised radio drama to improve the awareness and change behaviour towards healthy behaviours for HIV/AIDS prevention, especially focusing on stigma and discrimination reduction.

After the signing ceremony on 24 January 2007, the project will be officially implemented to December 2009, as a serialised radio drama of 104 episodes, following the entertainment-education methodology pioneered by Miguel Sabido of Mexico.

There is ample evidence from Sabido style serial dramas of their effectiveness in changing behaviour with regard to HIV prevention and stigma reductions in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The reasons for its effectiveness include the high entertainment value that attracts large audiences, the emotional content of the dramas that improves retention of the information learned, and the use of role modelling rather than the messages as a way to influence audience behaviour.

The radio soap opera in Vietnamese on VOV will cater to listeners in all 64 provinces and cities and will be transcript into Khmer, Mong and Thai language to serve ethnic listeners in various provinces including those living in border areas.

By Minh Tuan