FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 18, 2004

Bangladesh Adolescent Reproductive Health Project Honored by Population Institute

“Know Yourself” Program Wins Best Combined Media Effort Award

BALTIMORE — An integrated communication package promoting adolescent reproductive health (ARH) in Bangladesh has been named this year's Best Combined Media Effort in the Global Media Awards for Excellence in Population Reporting by the Population Institute.

The Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP) created the "Know Yourself" multimedia package with technical assistance from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Communication Programs (CCP), the Health Communication Partnership (HCP), and several local partners including an ARH Working Group. Supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development's Mission in Dhaka and the United Nations Children Fund, the project will receive its award at a ceremony to be held December 4 in Rabat , Morocco .

The project's integrated approach was developed through a participatory process with Bangladeshi adolescents, who added invaluable nuances, insights, and perspectives at every stage — from program design to story development to the production of materials. It aims to increase the age of first pregnancy and sexual debut; decrease risky sexual behaviors; reduce sexually transmitted infections (STI) and HIV transmission; delay age at marriage; and decrease maternal mortality.

Know Yourself ‘s multimedia components include question-and-answer booklets on puberty, sexuality, unwanted pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, STIs, and other family health information; four 26-minute interactive videos that feature adolescents; color-coded facilitator's guides; comic books that allow programmers to address sensitive issues; and national television and radio magazine programs featuring adolescents hosting a variety show.

Designed to be sensitive to local issues and culture, the project was based on research that showed that Bangladeshi adolescents lack accurate information on reproductive health issues, such as what constitutes “risky behaviors.”

HCP is a global communication initiative based at CCP in partnership with the Academy for Educational Development, Save the Children, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, and Tulane University 's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. In addition to the five core partners, HCP works with leading Southern-based health communication organizations as well as global programming partners from the corporate sector, international media, academic institutions, and faith-based organizations. For a full list of HCP partners and collaborators, visit www.hcpartnership.org .