Tanzania Commission for
AIDS (TACAIDS) in collaboration with UNICEF and in partnership with Clouds
Radio Station on Friday launched the award winning radio drama series popularly
known as ‘Shuga Radio ‘in Tanzania. The drama series targets adolescents and
young people in Tanzania with key messages on HIV and AIDS.
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| TACAIDS Commissioner for Youth Faraja Kotta Nyalandu (right) accompanied by compatriot Nancy Sumari to colour the launch of Shuga Radio Programme. Extreme left is Joseph Kusaga, Clouds FM Director |
The launch was conducted at
Kinondoni’s Biafra Grounds on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam.
Shuga Radio aims at
engaging and creating dialogue among adolescents and young people about HIV and
AIDS, through entertainment and education approach to address risky sexual
behaviours in efforts to reduce new HIV infections among them.
The
12 series radio program will be aired on Clouds FM every Thursday at 2pm and at
the same times by radio Kitulo FM in Makete District, Njombe Region. The
programme intends to contribute into helping Tanzania attaining its goal of
zero new infections.
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| A section of kids and youths turned up for the Shuga progrmme launch at Biafra grounds, Kinondoni |
The guest of honor at the
launch, TACAIDS Executive Chairperson, Dr. Fatma Mrisho who was represented by
Jumanne Issango, Director of Advocacy and Information (DAI) said the launch of
Shuga Radio was very timely and critical in Tanzania because of the increasing rates of HIV
among adolescents.
Every
day there are more than 2,500 new HIV infections in young people across the
world, four out of 10 are in sub-Saharan Africa and the vast majority of these
are young women and adolescent girls.
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Similar
trends are also observed in Tanzania according to the latest evidence says,
Jama Gulaid, UNICEF Representative for Tanzania.
“Shuga
Radio is a promising example of a public private partnership model of how to
work with partners together with young people to contribute to national efforts
of reducing new HIV infections. Sugar Radio is an initiative to change behavior
and create demand. Sugar aims to address the drivers of the epidemic and
promote uptake and utilization of HIV services with a focus on HIV testing and
counselling and condom use.”
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| Whatz up!! |
The launch of Shuga Radio
comes at a time when Tanzania is making significant improvements in HIV and
AIDS national response. According to the Tanzania HIV and AIDS and Malaria Indicator
survey (THMIS), there has been a decline in HIV prevalence among adults aged
15-49 from 7 per cent in 2003 to 5.1 per cent in 2011/12.
However, according to Dr.
Mrisho, the number of new HIV infections is still high, with approximately
80,000 Tanzanians getting infected with HIV each year.
“I truly believe that
innovative programs that resonate with young people and effective partnerships
are required if Tanzania is to attain its goal of zero new HIV infections,” she
added.
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The Managing Director of
Clouds Group, Joseph Kusaga, also expressed his appreciation for the
partnership with TACAIDS, the Ministry of Health and UNICEF on the important
initiative.
“To be able to give back to
our community and at the same time to use our media platform to reach the
millions of young people who tune into our radio station on a daily basis with
information that is going to help save their lives and help them to transition
into healthy and productive adults is very important to us.”
In the same event, Faraja
Kotta Nyalandu who is TACAIDS Commissioner for Youth and Shuga Ambassador,
urged youths to take extra care note when engaging themselves into sex
encounter and not dare “selling the match”
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| Beautiful and Safe: We Never and won't sale the Match |
She said, selling the
match—which is all about getting into unprotected sex (use of condom)
will lead to your early death
The launch marks the
roll-out in Tanzania of a multi-country public-private partnership initiative
between UNICEF, Multi-Media Television (MTV) and HIV free generation (PEPFAR)
that was developed as a Regional initiative, and has now been adapted to
Tanzanian context.
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| Message sent and delivered |
Tune in to Clouds FM every
Thursday at 2pm to follow the
lives of a group of four young fictional characters aged 15-24 sharing their
stories on life choices, dreams, friendships, challenges and triumphs in
a world with HIV and AIDS.
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| Un identified couple of Biafra residents also witnessed the event |
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