RESOURCES

NEWS

Evaluation of Tsha Tsha TV Program in South Africa

ACTIVITIES

Scaling Up the Community Response to HIV and TB
Dates: 7/1/2004 - 6/30/2005

National Health Channel to Deliver Mass Scale HIV/AIDS Prevention
Dates: 7/1/2004 - 2/28/2005

Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT)
Dates: 7/1/2004 - 6/30/2005

Tsha Tsha TV Series II: Modeling Positive Health Behavior
Dates: 7/1/2004 - 2/28/2005

South Africa Field Office
Dates: 7/1/2004 - 2/28/2005

Tsha Tsha Series IV: Modeliang Positive Health Behavior and Strengthening Community Response
Dates: 7/1/2005 - 3/31/2006

Mindset: On-site clinic education for HIV/AIDS Prevention, Treatment and Care thru the National Health
Dates: 7/1/2005 - 3/31/2006

Scaling Up the Community and Faith-Based Response to HIV
Dates: 1/1/2005 - 11/30/2006

National Survey to Measure Effectiveness of Three Large-Scale Mass Media Activities
Dates: 7/1/2005 - 3/31/2006

HIGHLIGHTS

Increasing health worker skills and knowledge: the National Health Channel’s program, Mindset, has reached 185,000 health care workers and clients and is increasing knowledge and capacity in HIV/AIDS service delivery via special television programs directly delivered into clinic settings via satellite. The information provided to remote and underserved health care workers and settings provides detailed guidelines on counseling, treatment and care for people living with HIV.

"Tsha Tsha" television series: Tsha Tsha is an entertainment-education TV drama series focusing on youth and dealing with love, sexuality, and relationship in a world affected by HIV/AIDS. A report published this year found that exposure to the series positively affected the viewers, exposure to the series was significantly associated with a range of HIV prevention practices, and produced a significant association with increased up take of voluntary counseling and testing. Results showed that the drama reached 1.8 million per week and achieved an audience share of over 50% Analysis also showed that the exposed treatment group compared to the matched control group had: a more desirable stigma attitude (82% versus 75%), a higher level of abstinence (21% versus 9%), a higher level of faithfulness to one partner (44% versus 27%), a higher level of condom use a last sex (60% versus 51%) and a higher level of HIV testing (17% versus 11%).

Health Communication Training: the University of Witwatersrand has instituted a Health Communication course of study, developing a new cadre of professionals to carry programs and activities into the future.

CONTACTS

Jane Koehler, jkoehler@jhuccp.org