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Kathmandu Monday November 12, 2001 Kartik 27, 2058.
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AIDS awareness
This is in response to the article entitled:
"Communications and HIV/AIDS awareness campaign" by Prakash Khanal published in
The Kathmandu Post on November 5, 2001.
I strongly agree with the views expressed by the
writer. Media, especially electronic media, has been very effective in bringing about
behavioural changes in any society. Because of its high impact, it has been extensively
used in the developed world. But perhaps the learned writer doesn’t know that it is
being used in Nepal by the Saroj Koirala Memorial Foundation to create nationwide
awareness against HIV/AIDS and its related prejudices since last April. The important
components of this campaign are a quarterly magazine called Mrityujanne Saathi (The Fatal
Friend) and weekly radio programme called Jeevan Jyoti which is broadcast every Wednesday
at 8:15 PM on Radio Nepal and every Saturday on KATH 97.9 FM at 1:00 PM. I feel that while
discussing the merits and the importance of media to spread awareness, the writer should
have given some credit to this organisation for creating awareness against HIV/AIDS for
quite some time, using its own resources without any external assistance.
Sabina Koirala
Saroj Koirala Memorial Foundation
Baluwatar, Kathmandu |
