BROADCAST HEALTH,
IAWRT MEMBERS URGED
By Mary Mamati
A three-day workshop for IAWRT members in
Kenya held from the 26th to 28th January
2005 challenged IAWRT members to use the
media to promote Women’s health .
The workshop whose objective was to give
IAWRT members an insight into health issues
affecting women in Kenya had facilitators
drawn from a health NGO, Pathfinder
International (PATH). The areas of focus
were HIV and AIDS, Cervical Cancer, Female
Genital Mutilation (FGM), Adolescence
Reproductive Health, and Abortion and Post –
Abortion care.
HIV AND AIDS
Although AIDS was declared a disaster in
Kenya about four years ago, it still remains
a major health problem. It is reported that
300 people die daily of AIDS in Kenya.
Despite the magnitude of this problem, it
emerged from the workshop, that the public
does not have sufficient information on HIV
and AIDS. The PATH facilitator, Mr. Oby
Obyero Odhiambo attributed the lack of
information to the misconceptions about HIV
and AIDS, stigmatization of HIV and AIDS
patients, high infection rate, and the high
mortality rate. The AIDS epidemic can be
controlled if people get information on how
the virus attacks the body, how to manage
the HIV and AIDS conditions, and how to live
positively with HIV and AIDS. As media women
IAWRT Kenya members were with the challenge
of educating the public on HIV and AIDS.
Female Genital Mutilation ( FGM)
Female Genital Mutilation ( FGM) is the
removal of part or all of the female
external genitalia. In some cultures, the
removal is followed by the stitching of the
vaginal opening to leave a small opening for
urine and menstruation.The PATH facilitator,
Miss Irene Otieno took the IAWRT Kenya
Workshop Participants through the types of
FGM, why it is practiced and the health
risks associated with the practice. It was
reported that in Kenya 38% of women have
undergone this procedure. It is particularly
sad to note that majority of the victims are
the children, aged between 4-12 years. This
is done in total disregard of the children’s
law. It was noted that the media can play a
very crucial role in the campaign against
this inhuman and barbaric practice.
Abortion and post-abortion care
Although illegal in Kenya, abortion is
carried out in the backstreet, under unsafe
conditions. The unsafe abortion accounts for
a high number of death among Kenyan women.
Ironically, while the Kenyan law is against
abortion, it allows post-abortion care. This
means that those who induce abortion, even
from the backstreets, are allowed to seek
medical attention when their life is in
danger. Unfortunately, as reported by the
IAWRT Kenya workshop facilitator, Mrs. Eva
Muthuri, it is usually too late for some of
them, as they end up dying. One again,the
role of women broadcasters in advocating for
the amendment of the Kenyan law on abortion
in order to save the life of thousands of
Kenyan women who die annually from unsafe
abortion was considered crucial.
Cervical Cancer
Cases of cervical cancer continue to rise in
Kenya. At the Kenyatta National Hospital,
one of Kenya’s two referral hospitals, 500
new cases of cervical cancer are recorded
each year, with 25% of the patients dying.
However, the IAWRT Kenya workshop was given
a positive side to the cervical cancer
problem when the PATH facilitator, Dr. Angie
Dawa announced that besides the Pap Smear, a
new cancer screening method had been
developed. The new method known as Visual
Inspection Acetic Acid (V.I.A), developed by
PATH is faster, cheaper and easy to apply.
V.I.A has already been introduced in health
centres in Busia District in Western Kenya,
and the Kenya Government is looking into
ways of making it available in all health
centers in Kenya, so as to reach all women
in the country. When diagnosed early,
cervical cancer is treatable. The challenge
is to create awareness among the Kenyan
women on the availability of this service,
and the media was once again considered a
crucial partner in carrying out this role.
Adolescent Reproductive Health
The group that is most at risk of suffering
from any of the above health problems are
adolescents, yet they find themselves at the
cross roads due to lack of information,
service, and skills. The facilitator, Mrs.
Eva Muthuri observed that the current
generation has the largest youth population
in history, and the group needs support to
grow up as responsible citizens.
The theme of the workshop was “communication
for behaviour change”. After going through
the communication model with the
facilitator, Mr. Oby Obyero Odhiambo, the
participants observed that the use of new
experiences such as stories of people who
have gone through similar experiences, was
the most effective way of bringing about
behaviour change.
The workshop participants also identified
“HIV and AIDS”, “Abortion and post–abortion
care” as areas of priority. The fora through
which the workshop knowledge could be
disseminated were also discussed. Although
the development of special radio and
television on HIV and AIDS, and Abortion,
was considered the best way to address the
two issues, the idea was shelved since it
meant meeting production and airtime costs
which IAWRT Kenya cannot afford.
The only alternative was to incorporate the
information in programmes already being
produced by IAWRT members on their
respective broadcasting stations.
Some of the programmes identified for these
purpose were:-
1. “AIDS
and YOU”, an AIDS vernacular programme on
the Central Service Radio Station of the Kenya
Broadcasting Corporation.
2. “On
the Move”, A women’s Programme on the
English
Radio Station of the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.
3. “The
Challenge”, a women’s programme on Channel 1
Television of the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation
4.
“Medical Journal”, a health programme on
Channel 1
Television of the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.
The above issues continue to feature on
these programmes though not consistently
because the production is hampered by the
lack of funds.
The workshop was sponsored by IAWRT
International with the support of PATH Kenya
which provided the resource people. |
Irene Otieno(PATH),
Njoki Njeru (KBC
Radio), Josephine Karani (IAWRT)
Oby Obyero Odhiambo
(PATH) and
Irene Otieno (PATH)
|
