Every day 100 people are newly infected with HIV in Vietnam, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Health. Now Denmark is about to increase its support to the fight against HIV/AIDS in the Southeast Asian country by launching a project, which involves the radio station Voice of Vietnam. The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) has announced that it will offer “support to the Voice of Vietnam in producing and broadcasting an entertainment-education radio programme for positive behaviour change on HIV/AIDS Prevention.”
To achieve its purpose, DANIDA will spend an estimated 770,000 USD (approx. 4.4 million DKK) on the project, which will be officially launched at a signing ceremony on 24 January 2007. The project will be implemented up until to December 2009, as a serialized radio drama of 104 episodes. The radio soap opera in Vietnamese on Voice of Vietnam will cater to listeners in all 64 provinces and cities and will be translated into Khmer, Mong, and Thai in order to serve ethnic listeners in various provinces including those living in border areas.
This is the second project funded by DANIDA to support the Voice of Vietnam in broadcasting an education/counselling programme on reproductive health for young people. The former project with VOV was to broadcast a phone-in radio programme called “Window of Love”. This programme was well received by young listeners and the government officers.
The lack of awareness and inappropriate understanding of HIV/AIDS are the main factors that contribute to stigma and discrimination of people infected with HIV/AIDS in Vietnam. Vietnam’s mass media organisations (radio, television, print newspapers, online newspapers, films, etc) have made active contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS through long-standing and systematic campaigns.
DANIDA is funding the project in co-operation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to provide vital information to the Vietnamese people, especially young people.
