Production of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) on medical information

/by

ABC Ulwazi, South Africa

Title: Essential Medical Information Community Radio Programmes

Partner

ABC Ulwazi was created in 1996 with the objective of training young people in community radio in the
necessary skills to write, present and produce programmes with an emphasis on education and human rights. The project supported by Stem van Afrika is implemented by ABC Ulwazi in cooperation with the Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI).

MKI is an international non-profit healthcare education and healthcare information organization based in the Netherlands and the US.

Project Objective

In South Africa many young township women from the previously disadvantaged community are in urgent need of basic medical and female hygiene information. There are simply not enough medical clinics or qualified medical extension officers to convey this information. ABC Ulwazi transforms basic healthcare information supplied by MKI into Entertainment Education (EE) programmes. Additionally, information about clinics and workshops run and maintained by MKI and its partners is disseminated. The project aimed to “decrease the number of deaths and severe internal injuries sustained by young women through ignorance of basic medical matters” (project proposal).

Actions and Schedule

Based on the MKI theme “Prevention though Education” ABC Ulwazi developed scripts, and produced ten topical PSA’s (Public Service Announcement), in three local languages, lasting one minute each, which were broadcast from 24th January until 24th February 2011 twice a week by six radio stations each in the Western Cape Province. The participating radio stations supplemented the PSA broadcasts with a talk show providing additional information on the profile and services of the MKI. The overall project phase lasted from October 2010 till March 2011. 

Results so far

MKI reported an increase in requests for training and contacts by community members, which are attributed as a direct result of the radio programmes.