"Tawala Kenya, tawala...Rais Odinga tawala Kenya tawala.."
This were the words that formed the song chanted by protesters in Kisumu, the opposition home turf. The words of the song translated as "Lead kenya, lead us...President Odinga". This song was done despite governement's stern warning that the so called nationwide "peaceful" demonstration were illegal and they will not allow people to demonstrate. The roudy youths carried leaves and branches and barricaded roads. Some youths set fire a coffin with a potrait of President Kibaki symbolising the death of democracy.
It was not only in Kisumu that protest took place, the three day nationwide protest called by the opposition leader that is meant to push the government to meet their demands was also taking place in other parts of the country. In Nairobi, police guarded the famous Uhuru Park (freedom park) where opposition leaders planned a massive rally. There was alot of tension and most busineses renained closed. Police fired teargas and live bullets in the air to disperse a group of chanting opposition leaders and their followers as they attempted to make their way into Uhuru Park. Elsewhere, in mombasa and eldoret, the police had to deal with similar situations.
What is surprising in the violence that has since rocked the country, following the disputed presidential election, is that the focus has shifted. It is now not a Kikuyu- Luo war so to speak, but a war between a government which does not want to compromise and respect the will of the majority (the people of Kenya) and citizens. A governement that is employing military tacticts as a depserate means to cling to power. Who said this was a Luo-Kikuyu tribal war? If so, why is it that all over sudden the focus is now between the governement police and the demonstrators? I am now hearing more of the police shooting and killing innocent demonstrators than the early reports of Luos or Kalenjins killing the Kikuyu.
Yes, the kikuyus are displaced, why? because they fear that they may, like so many were in the begining of this crisis, victimised by the actions of an irresponsible leader. Infact, if Kibaki cares about the kikuyu, then he should clearly resign for their sake. Most of the kikuyus are now refugees in their own country. Infact, even the Kikuyu's themselves do not approve what happened. It is only a handful of his loyal supporters that are supporting him in what appears to be a case of goverment using excessive force on ordinary 'wanainchi' or citizens who are just excersising their democratic right to protest just as they did when they voted.
This is why I insist that this is not a tribal battle, it is a battle to salvage the country from the arms of capitalists and economic vultures that are sucking the bloods of kenyans. The EU, US and UK should impose heavy sanctions on this regime and ban the regime from traveling to those regions for the sake of democracy and respect for human rights. Kibaki is certainly between a rock and a hard place and the only good thing he can do to Kenya now, is to accept that the people of Kenya did not elect him as the president.
The orders to "shoot to kill" protesters are unacceptable in a democractic country. Anyone who does that should not be spared for the killing of innocent Kenyans. Accountability for such actions should be extended to all those involved whether in government or oppossition. Kenya is a democracy not a military state with a military ruler. If the current violence continues, the economy, just like democracy, will be in crisis. Eventualy, push shall have come to shove and guess what? Cabinet members will all relocate abroad with the money they have made out of plunder and corruption and leave ordinary Kenyans to suffer.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Rape and HIV/AIDS
South Africa's twin epidemic
" South Africa has two epidemics, one of HIV and the other one of sexual violence, " says Marlise Richter, a researcher at the Aids Law Projec (ALP) at the university of Witwatersrand. " And the two are closely linked, " she adds.
According to the most recent available statistics from the South African Police Servise, 52,733 cases of rape were reported in 2003/2004 and this slightly increased in 2005/2006 to 54,926., reafirming South Africa's unenviable claim of being the rape capital of the world. South Africa also has an adult HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of 20 percent , giving it another unenviable title, that of the country with the highest number of HIV infected people. The two figure are not coincidental argues Richter. She says rape and HIV/AIDS are closely linked and the linkage happens at the level of gender.
However high the number of rape cases are in South Africa, my independent research with perpetrators of rape awaiting trial at the Sun City prison (Jahannesburg Prison) indicates that some of the reported cases were false cases. This is a situation whereby some women consent to sex and later, due to disagreement with their partners, the women go and report that they have been raped. In some incidences, this interviewees claimed that their girlfriends, wives or simply put, long term partners report them for rape for simple financial reasons in cases where the two have financial disputes over property and othe material things. Although this responses may be biased, they cannot be dismissed and to some extent, they complicate statistics that solely rely on cases that have been reported to the police and do not indicate statistics of actual convitions depending on whether the perpetrators were found guilty or not in a court of law. This is where the problem is.
Nevertheless, the mechanics of rape , characterised as it is by force, violence and trauma, combined with the biology of HIV transmission through semen and blood, create an ideal opportunity to spread HIV infection. '" From a medical perspective, rape is characterised by bleeding and considering the fact that there is high HIV prevalence in South Africa, it is only logical that those who are raped are at high risk of contracting HIV," says Richter.
Although understanding the mode of infectious transmission may be relatively straightfoward, explaining South Africa's alarming rape statistics is much more complicated. Sadiyya Haffejee, a researcher with the Gender Unit at the Centre for the Studdy of Violence and Reconciliation, says the widespread prevalence of rape is a legacy of the culture of violence that sustained arpatheid and a product of the current pace of rapid and ongoing social transformation. " South Africa is traditionally a male dominated and patriarchal society and research suggest that rape is more prevalent in such societies. A culture of violence has also dominated South Africa for years and the current level of criminal and political violence, rooted in arpatheid and the political struggle to overthrow it , has left many with a sense of powerlesness."
This is the sense of powerlessness among men as South Africa transforms into a democratic society that is rapidly redefining traditional gender roles, especialy, relationships. It is manifetsed in extreme examples of antisocial behaviour, least of all rape. According to Dr Hellen Jones, a senior lecturer in criminology at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK, " rape is not a gender neutral activity. People do not rape, men rape. Rape is also about power and control, not about sex." Jones also argues that the many 'rape myths' widely propagated in South Africa, such as the belief that men rape because they cannot control their sexual lust and that women enjoy being raped, contribute to the sense of social permissiveness around rape.
While changing the social conditions that underlies South Africa's horrific rape statistics and the consequent implications for spreading HIV/AIDS remains a long term and profoundly complex challenge, anti rape and HIV/AIDS activists are persuing a number of campaigns to effect immediate changes to adress the twin epidemics of rape and HIV/AIDS, including legal responces, educational campaigns, and more rigorous application of health policies.
" The Department of Health has very limited guidelines on rape and that is why we at the Aids Law Project are pushing for an extensive guideline. The current guideline for instance does not deal with the relationship between violence againist women and the risk of HIV transmission, "says Richter. The ALP is also pushing for better implementation of existing health policies that entitle women to post exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV transmission following a rape. The ALP also publishes a handbook that provide critical legal and medical information to rape survivors to prevent HIV transmission.
" South Africa has two epidemics, one of HIV and the other one of sexual violence, " says Marlise Richter, a researcher at the Aids Law Projec (ALP) at the university of Witwatersrand. " And the two are closely linked, " she adds.
According to the most recent available statistics from the South African Police Servise, 52,733 cases of rape were reported in 2003/2004 and this slightly increased in 2005/2006 to 54,926., reafirming South Africa's unenviable claim of being the rape capital of the world. South Africa also has an adult HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of 20 percent , giving it another unenviable title, that of the country with the highest number of HIV infected people. The two figure are not coincidental argues Richter. She says rape and HIV/AIDS are closely linked and the linkage happens at the level of gender.
However high the number of rape cases are in South Africa, my independent research with perpetrators of rape awaiting trial at the Sun City prison (Jahannesburg Prison) indicates that some of the reported cases were false cases. This is a situation whereby some women consent to sex and later, due to disagreement with their partners, the women go and report that they have been raped. In some incidences, this interviewees claimed that their girlfriends, wives or simply put, long term partners report them for rape for simple financial reasons in cases where the two have financial disputes over property and othe material things. Although this responses may be biased, they cannot be dismissed and to some extent, they complicate statistics that solely rely on cases that have been reported to the police and do not indicate statistics of actual convitions depending on whether the perpetrators were found guilty or not in a court of law. This is where the problem is.
Nevertheless, the mechanics of rape , characterised as it is by force, violence and trauma, combined with the biology of HIV transmission through semen and blood, create an ideal opportunity to spread HIV infection. '" From a medical perspective, rape is characterised by bleeding and considering the fact that there is high HIV prevalence in South Africa, it is only logical that those who are raped are at high risk of contracting HIV," says Richter.
Although understanding the mode of infectious transmission may be relatively straightfoward, explaining South Africa's alarming rape statistics is much more complicated. Sadiyya Haffejee, a researcher with the Gender Unit at the Centre for the Studdy of Violence and Reconciliation, says the widespread prevalence of rape is a legacy of the culture of violence that sustained arpatheid and a product of the current pace of rapid and ongoing social transformation. " South Africa is traditionally a male dominated and patriarchal society and research suggest that rape is more prevalent in such societies. A culture of violence has also dominated South Africa for years and the current level of criminal and political violence, rooted in arpatheid and the political struggle to overthrow it , has left many with a sense of powerlesness."
This is the sense of powerlessness among men as South Africa transforms into a democratic society that is rapidly redefining traditional gender roles, especialy, relationships. It is manifetsed in extreme examples of antisocial behaviour, least of all rape. According to Dr Hellen Jones, a senior lecturer in criminology at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK, " rape is not a gender neutral activity. People do not rape, men rape. Rape is also about power and control, not about sex." Jones also argues that the many 'rape myths' widely propagated in South Africa, such as the belief that men rape because they cannot control their sexual lust and that women enjoy being raped, contribute to the sense of social permissiveness around rape.
While changing the social conditions that underlies South Africa's horrific rape statistics and the consequent implications for spreading HIV/AIDS remains a long term and profoundly complex challenge, anti rape and HIV/AIDS activists are persuing a number of campaigns to effect immediate changes to adress the twin epidemics of rape and HIV/AIDS, including legal responces, educational campaigns, and more rigorous application of health policies.
" The Department of Health has very limited guidelines on rape and that is why we at the Aids Law Project are pushing for an extensive guideline. The current guideline for instance does not deal with the relationship between violence againist women and the risk of HIV transmission, "says Richter. The ALP is also pushing for better implementation of existing health policies that entitle women to post exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV transmission following a rape. The ALP also publishes a handbook that provide critical legal and medical information to rape survivors to prevent HIV transmission.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
HIV/AIDS…tell people that they must be normal; they must take care of themselves.
Rape accounts for a number of HIV/AIDS cases in South Africa. Some of these incidences go unreported or untold. With high rates of rape in South Africa, it is never very far from your doorstep. Dorcas Ndou came face to face with rape two years ago when she was only 20. She was raped and worse still, infected with what so many people still consider a deadly Virus, HIV.
Like any other rape survivor, she was confused and traumatised at the time,
“When I went to the clinic after they raped me I tested positive. I was sic, I was stressed, I got cancelled… they cancelled me at the Baragwanath Hospital”.
After dealing with the trauma of rape, Dorcas had to deal with yet another reality-HIV/AIDS. “I was like confused and stressed then I got canselled, I am coping good, like I am used to this infection…I got it …I was raped, I got that infection from rape there is nothing good, like I am used to this disease”.
Although Jane found life difficult after being raped and infected with HIV, she explains what enabled her to cope “ I was eating healthy foods …and I take some herbs. I was drinking tablets but now I don’t take tablets because they make me sic … the only disease that makes me sic is flu…then I eat garlic…I boil garlic then I pour fish oil then I drink it”.
Apart from eating healthy foods, Jane was lucky because, unlike many other people who disclose, no one rejected her and she got the necessary support from the family members when she disclosed to them, “My parents and my colleagues adviced me…like I must not be scared, I must be normal like other people…eish … I become happy like when they talk to me like that. No one has rejected me”.
She claims that people must disclose and take care of their bodies by eating healthy food. “… People who are infected must be themselves, like...they must be like other people, they must not be scared of this disease”. Jane claims that she can help other people by counselling them about HIV “they must feel free, eat healthy food and disclose to other people, telling other people about this disease”. She gave a brief example of her diet on a typical day, “Vegetables, fruits like fruit juices… I eat liquid food … like juice which have lots of fruits… they are expensive…like my mother is trying to buy them”
“I am used to this disease”, she says. She admits though, that the future seems bad for her, but she is trying to make it better, “ Now my future is bad, but I want to make it better by studying and getting advice from other people, from my brother, other sisters like nurses and my educators at school and advising other people too”.
Jane is neither planning to have a boyfriend nor sex anymore. “Eish because like I am infected, I don’t want to infect other people. Condoms are not 100 percent effective”. She says. “ I am studying tourism and Mathematics at Naledi secondary school. She says when she finishes high school, she wants to be a social worker. "I would like to tell people that they must be normal; they must take care of themselves. They must eat healthy food and they must not have unprotected sex they must use a condom”. She adds.
The story of Jane is a story of hope. It shows how so much can be done to combat HIV/AIDS. Voicing the experiences of those who are infected and involving them in HIV/AIDS interventions is now a must. As the English saying goes, “Who feels it knows it”.
Like any other rape survivor, she was confused and traumatised at the time,
“When I went to the clinic after they raped me I tested positive. I was sic, I was stressed, I got cancelled… they cancelled me at the Baragwanath Hospital”.
After dealing with the trauma of rape, Dorcas had to deal with yet another reality-HIV/AIDS. “I was like confused and stressed then I got canselled, I am coping good, like I am used to this infection…I got it …I was raped, I got that infection from rape there is nothing good, like I am used to this disease”.
Although Jane found life difficult after being raped and infected with HIV, she explains what enabled her to cope “ I was eating healthy foods …and I take some herbs. I was drinking tablets but now I don’t take tablets because they make me sic … the only disease that makes me sic is flu…then I eat garlic…I boil garlic then I pour fish oil then I drink it”.
Apart from eating healthy foods, Jane was lucky because, unlike many other people who disclose, no one rejected her and she got the necessary support from the family members when she disclosed to them, “My parents and my colleagues adviced me…like I must not be scared, I must be normal like other people…eish … I become happy like when they talk to me like that. No one has rejected me”.
She claims that people must disclose and take care of their bodies by eating healthy food. “… People who are infected must be themselves, like...they must be like other people, they must not be scared of this disease”. Jane claims that she can help other people by counselling them about HIV “they must feel free, eat healthy food and disclose to other people, telling other people about this disease”. She gave a brief example of her diet on a typical day, “Vegetables, fruits like fruit juices… I eat liquid food … like juice which have lots of fruits… they are expensive…like my mother is trying to buy them”
“I am used to this disease”, she says. She admits though, that the future seems bad for her, but she is trying to make it better, “ Now my future is bad, but I want to make it better by studying and getting advice from other people, from my brother, other sisters like nurses and my educators at school and advising other people too”.
Jane is neither planning to have a boyfriend nor sex anymore. “Eish because like I am infected, I don’t want to infect other people. Condoms are not 100 percent effective”. She says. “ I am studying tourism and Mathematics at Naledi secondary school. She says when she finishes high school, she wants to be a social worker. "I would like to tell people that they must be normal; they must take care of themselves. They must eat healthy food and they must not have unprotected sex they must use a condom”. She adds.
The story of Jane is a story of hope. It shows how so much can be done to combat HIV/AIDS. Voicing the experiences of those who are infected and involving them in HIV/AIDS interventions is now a must. As the English saying goes, “Who feels it knows it”.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Our Media
Which media tells the truth? I have to thank the Kenyan media for striving to be objective while exposing the truth in what has since robbed Kenya it's international reputation as a stable democracy and a model for Africa. The events unfolding in Kenya were uncalled for, untimely and quite unexpected. However, as much as they seemed to have surprised the world, I was not very surprised because I already had a bad feeling about the elections, especially when the Electoral Commission of Kenya delayed announcing the winner of the presidential votes and eventually suspending the process due to " public pressure".
I remember how I was roaming everywhere to get hold of the latest news about the elections, being a kenyan living in South Africa, I simply could not be satisfied by Aljazeera, Sky News, BBC, dont even mention CNN. In many occassions, I was channel hoping and not even SABC Africa - I wonder how prominent African issues are to them, they seemed to be focusing on other issues and proximity to them did not count as a news value - could satisfy me. CNBC-Africa should just delete the word "Africa" attached on CNBC, because everytime I am tuned in, they are always reporting on stories in the United States and Europe. Anyway, the internet came in handy and thanks God the Kenyan daily newspaper online (Daily Nation) was available.
On this day, while busy reading nation online, a female kenyan friend walked in shouting " hey Fred, I thought I would find you here." She sounded happy, but, at the same time, had an empty expresion on her face. Then, well, we had to update ourselves on whatever election news we had. Knowing that I am Luo, she told me that Raila, the Luo opposition leader, was still ahead of Kibaki, the Kikuyu. She was not literaly mentioning the two tribes but what she said later, convinced me that she realy wants victory for Kibaki, since Kibaki belongs to her tribe. She said Raila is now leading with a difference of 200,000 votes and continued that the government is planning to delete names starting with letters "O" and "A", which happens to be Luo names, in Raila's Lang'ata costituency so that he can loose his parliarmentary seat. She seemed not to have any problem with such fraud.
For you to be President in Kenya, you have to be an elected member of parliament as one of the requirements by law. I was shocked to find out from the news that Raila's name was actualy missing from the voter register just like she said and several other names. Raila's second name is Odinga. From that point, I knew things will terribly go wrong in this year's election. I remember telling my friend at the cybercafe that I also suspect, due to the delayed announcement that Kibaki will be declared the winner, but I also warned her that if that is the case, and given the support the opposition has in Kenya, it will create chaos. I was not shocked when violence erupted in Kenya.
Extensive coverage by the international media followed. This focus included heavy criticism that reminded me of major stereotypes the West still have about Africa and Kenya in particular. A wholesale statement about their reporting suggested that the Kenyan situation is nothing different from the tribal wars in Rwanda and Burundi and others. It was simply the Luo fighting the Kikuyu as a result of the disputed elections and not a war as a result of genuine electoral fraud. Infact, it turned out to be other tribes fighting in Rift Valley.
With little hopes of knowing what was happening at home - I have to thanks to media diversity, because while this kind of reporting came largely from Sky News, BBC and CNN, Aljazeera reported more accurately, putting issues into perspective and in their right context - I was very worried. Most Kenyans know that this is not a tribal war, it is a war for economic reforms. The poor are fed up with empty promises from selfish politicians. Little wonder that the hot spots of the clashes are areas with poor people (slum areas of major cities and rural areas). The electoral fraud only heightened ribal suspicions in such areas which later turned into physical battles as rival tribes accused and counter accused each other for their economic plight.
The victimized here, obviously, are the kikuyu because, over the years and since independence, they seemed to have accumulated wealth and are better off than other communities in the country. The economic position of the Kikuyu invited envy from others and can be presumed to be the genesis of tribal alignments whereby members of the other communities ganged up with the hopes of dis-empowering them. Some communities in Kenya belive Kikuyu's are largely responsible for their poverty. However, nothing can justify the killings but what in now clear now is that Kenyans will not allow selfish leaders in office anymore in future because they have learnt the hard way.
This perhaps marks the death of rigging in future elections and the begining of genuine democracy where people's voices are respected and leaders are ready to leave office if defeated in elections. The Kenyan media should be given a thumbs up for preaching peace and should keep on preaching peace irrespective of what the foriegn media reports. Afterall, as the first president of Kenya, the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta said "Kenya is Marwa Nobody Can Tunya's" or Kenya is ours, nobody can take it away from us, the responsibility of building our beloved nation rests with us. Kenyatta's expression combines Luo, Kikuyu and english to represent the diversity of the kenyan people, let us protect Kenya.
I remember how I was roaming everywhere to get hold of the latest news about the elections, being a kenyan living in South Africa, I simply could not be satisfied by Aljazeera, Sky News, BBC, dont even mention CNN. In many occassions, I was channel hoping and not even SABC Africa - I wonder how prominent African issues are to them, they seemed to be focusing on other issues and proximity to them did not count as a news value - could satisfy me. CNBC-Africa should just delete the word "Africa" attached on CNBC, because everytime I am tuned in, they are always reporting on stories in the United States and Europe. Anyway, the internet came in handy and thanks God the Kenyan daily newspaper online (Daily Nation) was available.
On this day, while busy reading nation online, a female kenyan friend walked in shouting " hey Fred, I thought I would find you here." She sounded happy, but, at the same time, had an empty expresion on her face. Then, well, we had to update ourselves on whatever election news we had. Knowing that I am Luo, she told me that Raila, the Luo opposition leader, was still ahead of Kibaki, the Kikuyu. She was not literaly mentioning the two tribes but what she said later, convinced me that she realy wants victory for Kibaki, since Kibaki belongs to her tribe. She said Raila is now leading with a difference of 200,000 votes and continued that the government is planning to delete names starting with letters "O" and "A", which happens to be Luo names, in Raila's Lang'ata costituency so that he can loose his parliarmentary seat. She seemed not to have any problem with such fraud.
For you to be President in Kenya, you have to be an elected member of parliament as one of the requirements by law. I was shocked to find out from the news that Raila's name was actualy missing from the voter register just like she said and several other names. Raila's second name is Odinga. From that point, I knew things will terribly go wrong in this year's election. I remember telling my friend at the cybercafe that I also suspect, due to the delayed announcement that Kibaki will be declared the winner, but I also warned her that if that is the case, and given the support the opposition has in Kenya, it will create chaos. I was not shocked when violence erupted in Kenya.
Extensive coverage by the international media followed. This focus included heavy criticism that reminded me of major stereotypes the West still have about Africa and Kenya in particular. A wholesale statement about their reporting suggested that the Kenyan situation is nothing different from the tribal wars in Rwanda and Burundi and others. It was simply the Luo fighting the Kikuyu as a result of the disputed elections and not a war as a result of genuine electoral fraud. Infact, it turned out to be other tribes fighting in Rift Valley.
With little hopes of knowing what was happening at home - I have to thanks to media diversity, because while this kind of reporting came largely from Sky News, BBC and CNN, Aljazeera reported more accurately, putting issues into perspective and in their right context - I was very worried. Most Kenyans know that this is not a tribal war, it is a war for economic reforms. The poor are fed up with empty promises from selfish politicians. Little wonder that the hot spots of the clashes are areas with poor people (slum areas of major cities and rural areas). The electoral fraud only heightened ribal suspicions in such areas which later turned into physical battles as rival tribes accused and counter accused each other for their economic plight.
The victimized here, obviously, are the kikuyu because, over the years and since independence, they seemed to have accumulated wealth and are better off than other communities in the country. The economic position of the Kikuyu invited envy from others and can be presumed to be the genesis of tribal alignments whereby members of the other communities ganged up with the hopes of dis-empowering them. Some communities in Kenya belive Kikuyu's are largely responsible for their poverty. However, nothing can justify the killings but what in now clear now is that Kenyans will not allow selfish leaders in office anymore in future because they have learnt the hard way.
This perhaps marks the death of rigging in future elections and the begining of genuine democracy where people's voices are respected and leaders are ready to leave office if defeated in elections. The Kenyan media should be given a thumbs up for preaching peace and should keep on preaching peace irrespective of what the foriegn media reports. Afterall, as the first president of Kenya, the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta said "Kenya is Marwa Nobody Can Tunya's" or Kenya is ours, nobody can take it away from us, the responsibility of building our beloved nation rests with us. Kenyatta's expression combines Luo, Kikuyu and english to represent the diversity of the kenyan people, let us protect Kenya.
How journalists should work with scientists in health reporting
By Fredrick Ogenga
Former MA student, HIV/AIDS and the Media Project.
Recently, I was one of the delegates at a 2 day health care media exchange seminar at Hackle Brooke in Craig Park. The exchange was sponsored by Mescheme and co supported by Africa Media assd the media projecte is the level at which scientists and journalists find it difficult to speak the same language about health issues particularly HIV/AIDS.
Often, these two groups of people are suspicious of each other. Kanyi Ndaki a health reporter from IRIN plus news briefly describes it as “mistrust between the scientific community and journalists”. She says journalists find it difficult to deal with people who don’t trust and respect them. She however accepts that yes, journalists have a problem in understanding science. This results in overstating, dumping down statistics and figures.
Although there are several health issues that affect us, one that we cannot escape mentioning is HIV/AIDS. In retrospect, HIV/AIDS in the media has been, time and again, portrayed as a “killer”. Messages on TV, radio, print and other forms of media “scared the audience off”. Rachel Jewekes, director Media Research Council’s Gender and Health Unit and one of the panellists in the exchange, observes a situation where the media focuses in portraying those infected as innocent victims leading to stigmatisation.
The linking of HIV/AIDS to horrible death has made those infected resist rather than accept their status, she says. This encourages denial limiting testing and support for those infected. Jewekes explains that HIV/AIDS reporting has led to the dissemination of harmful myths such as virgin cleansing and rape (the infected raping virgins believing they will be cured of HIV/AIDS) including baby rape. This area of reporting (rape) has been uncritical. There is very little educational component is such reporting.
The idea of baby rape she adds has been repeated several times in the media perpetrating the myth. Journalists should take clear responsibility in what they report. Increasing example of good reporting involves utilistaion of various sources and angles including educational angles and what she calls “social value based journalism” which present ways in which people make real meaning of AIDS in their lives.
Problems in reporting often lie in accuracy in statistics and media accuracy. Journalists should have a critical reflection of their sources of information (mainly scientists). They should be health experts and act as social leaders in HIV/AIDS and other health issues. They should challenge attitudes and values through rigorous fact checking, and searching for underlying issues rather than attention grabbing parts of a story.
Marietje Myburg regional coordinator (communication), Governance and AIDS Program talks about “what journalists need to know from science to enable them tell citizens what they need to know”. This is a situation where journalists hold scientists responsible to give citizens power to know. They should not simplify what is complicated and not complicate what is simple”. Reporting on science requires honesty, she adds. Journalists should ask if they are sure about what they wrote. They should know the extent at which the story accommodates the experience of strangers.
As far as journalism is concerned, this is a tall order indeed. Journalists can try and include all the recommendations discussed above when reporting, particularly on HIV/AIDS. But it does not necessary mean that their reporting will lead to behaviour change. Dr Soul Johnson, managing director of Health Development Africa suggests enforcing certain standards on reporting (by law) and the way advertising present issues of national importance. However, he adds that people’s perceptions of social norms influence how other people behave. HIV/AIDS being a complex issue, a simple media intervention or reporting can hardly address such a complexity.
HIV/AIDS involves issues of gender relations – perceived societal cultural norms and traditions and how to overcome such issues are beyond the ability of a media intervention. Johnson suggests solution hrough ethical standards in reporting by giving a story a human face. In the case of HIV/AIDS then it should have some information on how to cope. Journalists can work with scientists in the science of health if they are expected to be active participants in the process.
Former MA student, HIV/AIDS and the Media Project.
Recently, I was one of the delegates at a 2 day health care media exchange seminar at Hackle Brooke in Craig Park. The exchange was sponsored by Mescheme and co supported by Africa Media assd the media projecte is the level at which scientists and journalists find it difficult to speak the same language about health issues particularly HIV/AIDS.
Often, these two groups of people are suspicious of each other. Kanyi Ndaki a health reporter from IRIN plus news briefly describes it as “mistrust between the scientific community and journalists”. She says journalists find it difficult to deal with people who don’t trust and respect them. She however accepts that yes, journalists have a problem in understanding science. This results in overstating, dumping down statistics and figures.
Although there are several health issues that affect us, one that we cannot escape mentioning is HIV/AIDS. In retrospect, HIV/AIDS in the media has been, time and again, portrayed as a “killer”. Messages on TV, radio, print and other forms of media “scared the audience off”. Rachel Jewekes, director Media Research Council’s Gender and Health Unit and one of the panellists in the exchange, observes a situation where the media focuses in portraying those infected as innocent victims leading to stigmatisation.
The linking of HIV/AIDS to horrible death has made those infected resist rather than accept their status, she says. This encourages denial limiting testing and support for those infected. Jewekes explains that HIV/AIDS reporting has led to the dissemination of harmful myths such as virgin cleansing and rape (the infected raping virgins believing they will be cured of HIV/AIDS) including baby rape. This area of reporting (rape) has been uncritical. There is very little educational component is such reporting.
The idea of baby rape she adds has been repeated several times in the media perpetrating the myth. Journalists should take clear responsibility in what they report. Increasing example of good reporting involves utilistaion of various sources and angles including educational angles and what she calls “social value based journalism” which present ways in which people make real meaning of AIDS in their lives.
Problems in reporting often lie in accuracy in statistics and media accuracy. Journalists should have a critical reflection of their sources of information (mainly scientists). They should be health experts and act as social leaders in HIV/AIDS and other health issues. They should challenge attitudes and values through rigorous fact checking, and searching for underlying issues rather than attention grabbing parts of a story.
Marietje Myburg regional coordinator (communication), Governance and AIDS Program talks about “what journalists need to know from science to enable them tell citizens what they need to know”. This is a situation where journalists hold scientists responsible to give citizens power to know. They should not simplify what is complicated and not complicate what is simple”. Reporting on science requires honesty, she adds. Journalists should ask if they are sure about what they wrote. They should know the extent at which the story accommodates the experience of strangers.
As far as journalism is concerned, this is a tall order indeed. Journalists can try and include all the recommendations discussed above when reporting, particularly on HIV/AIDS. But it does not necessary mean that their reporting will lead to behaviour change. Dr Soul Johnson, managing director of Health Development Africa suggests enforcing certain standards on reporting (by law) and the way advertising present issues of national importance. However, he adds that people’s perceptions of social norms influence how other people behave. HIV/AIDS being a complex issue, a simple media intervention or reporting can hardly address such a complexity.
HIV/AIDS involves issues of gender relations – perceived societal cultural norms and traditions and how to overcome such issues are beyond the ability of a media intervention. Johnson suggests solution hrough ethical standards in reporting by giving a story a human face. In the case of HIV/AIDS then it should have some information on how to cope. Journalists can work with scientists in the science of health if they are expected to be active participants in the process.
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