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Radio beats killer diseases

One of the greatest challenges that faces British aid agency, Health
Unlimited, is ignorance. Millions die each year from diseases which can
easily be prevented. Malaria, TB and diarrhoea are all common killers
but given the basic knowledge and skills people can learn to prevent
and treat these diseases.

Media-led health campaigns are proving one of the most effective
ways to spread the health message. Health Unlimited has been working
with community radio projects, first in Afghanistan and then in Bolivia,
helping people to develop lively and entertaining programmes which
use drama, song and comedy to bring the health message alive.

Now in Cambodia, Health Unlimited is launching health awareness
campaigns about AIDS, women's health and family planning. The
project is training over 90 local journalists and health workers in script
writing, radio and video production and audience research.

While there are a number of education projects around the world using
innovative radio, they very often operate in isolation from one another.
In May 1996, Health Unlimited is staging a four-day conference,
Creative Radio for Development, for radio education broadcasters
from around the world. The aim of the conference is to bring together
radio journalists so that they can share their ideas and learn from each
others' experiences.

The first three days of the conference will be given over to three
workshops (held in Birmingham): maximising the educational impact of
radio drama; needs assessment and evaluation; how sustainable is
local radio?

The final day of the conference (held in London) will involve an invited
audience of decision makers and funders from around the world and
aims to raise the profile of radio as a cost effective development tool.

The cost of the conference is =A3195 per person. Funds are
available for overseas participants to cover the cost of travel
and accommodation and in some cases the cost of the course
itself.
Any interested broadcasters should contact Sahar Shuffell at
Health Unlimited, 3 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NT. Tel +44
171 928 8105. Fax +44 171 928 7736.

(C)Copyright Commonwealth Broadcasting Association 1996
________________________________________________________
Bruce Girard
AMARC - Pulsar
Email: bgirard@pulsar.org.ec
http://www.web.apc.org/amarc/pulsar.html
Tel: +(593-2) 525-521    Fax/Tel: +(593-2) 542-818
Avenida America 3584, Casilla 17-01-1171, Quito, Ecuador