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| Contributing Partner: |
Exchange at HealthLink Worldwide |
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Summary:
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Health Unlimited has successfully used radio for health communication by focusing on audiences, communication processes and good writing. |
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Description:
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Radio – a tool for change
Increased attention has been given to radio for development recently, often in reference to newer information and communication technologies (ICTs). Clive Nettleton introduced some of Health Unlimited’s work on radio soap operas and phone-in shows.
Developing content in consultation with audiences and training local staff to do everything from technical production to writing has sustained strong radio programmes in Cambodia and Rwanda and enabled local people to make decisions quickly. Expertise from the UK was drafted in when needed including writers from BBC Radio Four’s The Archers who trained local writers.
A radio soap opera in Afghanistan was Health Unlimited’s first success with radio broadcasting, explained Clive Nettleton. The soap opera communicated messages about immunisation in the early 1990s – during the time a ceasefire was being negotiated in Afghanistan – as part of a World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF immunisation drive. The programme was broadcast on the BBC World Service.
Radio soap operas and phone-in shows followed in Cambodia in 1998 and Rwanda in 1999. Smaller scale phone-in shows are broadcast in Latin America.
Making radio drama work
Health Unlimited has found that everything from accents, to religious beliefs, to where people live all have an impact on how people relate to the characters in radio dramas and soap operas. Consulting with diverse groups has helped to reach different people. But radio dramas need to hook people’s interest. They pose problems rather than provide answers and people need to talk about them.
Listening time is around 12 minutes. “If you are using drama, it has to be really good drama. If people turn it off it is no good,” said Clive. Four of five star characters in Health Unlimited’s shows hook the audiences into the dramas which include storylines about relevant health issues.
Sexual and reproductive health is the focus of Health Unlimited’s Cambodian soap opera, which over time has evolved into a programme for young people. There is now a drive to reach young people in rural areas as well as in cities.
In Rwanda – where two thirds of the adult population listen to the radio soap Urunana, or 'Hand in Hand' – messages about mosquitoes transmitting malaria were incorporated into the storylines. Audience surveys had revealed that people believed that malaria was transmitted by sucking the end of maize – not an illogical belief as the harvest season for maize coincides with the rainy season when there are more mosquitoes.
Beyond radio
The reach of Urunana in Rwanda was demonstrated when 200,000 listeners phoned in to answer a question about who were the most popular characters. The writers then killed off two of the least popular characters to create a storyline about AIDS orphans.
Public meetings complement the radio soap and phone in shows. At one meeting 20,000 people were present and people from the crowd got up on stage to ask the radio agony aunt what the symptoms of syphilis and gonorrhoea were, breaking through taboos about sexual health.
Women in Somaliland set up groups to listen to one of Health Unlimited’s Rwandan drama programmes together and started using it as a tool for advocacy. “We don’t know how widespread this was,” said Clive, “but something was starting to happen spontaneously.”
In Rwanda, Health Unlimited has just started an extension project to facilitate listener groups with members of local community-based organisations. The discussions will be recorded for feedback into the programme but will also be fed back into advocacy work at local level.
Measuring impact
“The issue is always does this make a difference, does it have an impact on behaviour?” said Clive.
Broadcasters have never needed to explain how radio programmes change people’s lives or behaviour since this is outside the remit of making engaging radio programmes, pointed out a freelance radio consultant who used to work at the BBC. But now people are trying to measure impact as there are more demands for evidence from funders.
Health Unlimited applies a monitoring and evaluation component in every project. And knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) surveys provide some baseline data about people’s health needs and behaviour by asking questions such as do you talk about condom use with friends. But Health Unlimited is wary of trying to isolate one cause of behaviour change, or claim this type of success for their: it is extremely complicated to understand why people behave in certain ways in relation to health.
Radio gets people talking and thinking – and the power of this cannot be underestimated. But laws, social relationships, culture and family dynamics are just some of the complex factors which affect people’s behaviour and health.
However, donors need to account for the money spent and demand evidence. Funding is always a problem. Radio stations often expect payment for broadcasting shows that have been produced as part of development programmes. But working with commercial sponsors is problematic because they have their own agenda. “Be wary when you take people’s money what you might end up with” said one participant who had wrangled over the all-important scripts with a sponsor.
(From Radio – a tool for change
Increased attention has been given to radio for development recently, often in reference to newer information and communication technologies (ICTs). Clive Nettleton introduced some of Health Unlimited’s work on radio soap operas and phone-in shows.
Developing content in consultation with audiences and training local staff to do everything from technical production to writing has sustained strong radio programmes in Cambodia and Rwanda and enabled local people to make decisions quickly. Expertise from the UK was drafted in when needed including writers from BBC Radio Four’s The Archers who trained local writers.
A radio soap opera in Afghanistan was Health Unlimited’s first success with radio broadcasting, explained Clive Nettleton. The soap opera communicated messages about immunisation in the early 1990s – during the time a ceasefire was being negotiated in Afghanistan – as part of a World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF immunisation drive. The programme was broadcast on the BBC World Service.
Radio soap operas and phone-in shows followed in Cambodia in 1998 and Rwanda in 1999. Smaller scale phone-in shows are broadcast in Latin America.
Making radio drama work
Health Unlimited has found that everything from accents, to religious beliefs, to where people live all have an impact on how people relate to the characters in radio dramas and soap operas. Consulting with diverse groups has helped to reach different people. But radio dramas need to hook people’s interest. They pose problems rather than provide answers and people need to talk about them.
Listening time is around 12 minutes. “If you are using drama, it has to be really good drama. If people turn it off it is no good,” said Clive. Four of five star characters in Health Unlimited’s shows hook the audiences into the dramas which include storylines about relevant health issues.
Sexual and reproductive health is the focus of Health Unlimited’s Cambodian soap opera, which over time has evolved into a programme for young people. There is now a drive to reach young people in rural areas as well as in cities.
In Rwanda – where two thirds of the adult population listen to the radio soap Urunana, or 'Hand in Hand' – messages about mosquitoes transmitting malaria were incorporated into the storylines. Audience surveys had revealed that people believed that malaria was transmitted by sucking the end of maize – not an illogical belief as the harvest season for maize coincides with the rainy season when there are more mosquitoes.
Beyond radio
The reach of Urunana in Rwanda was demonstrated when 200,000 listeners phoned in to answer a question about who were the most popular characters. The writers then killed off two of the least popular characters to create a storyline about AIDS orphans.
Public meetings complement the radio soap and phone in shows. At one meeting 20,000 people were present and people from the crowd got up on stage to ask the radio agony aunt what the symptoms of syphilis and gonorrhoea were, breaking through taboos about sexual health.
Women in Somaliland set up groups to listen to one of Health Unlimited’s Rwandan drama programmes together and started using it as a tool for advocacy. “We don’t know how widespread this was,” said Clive, “but something was starting to happen spontaneously.”
In Rwanda, Health Unlimited has just started an extension project to facilitate listener groups with members of local community-based organisations. The discussions will be recorded for feedback into the programme but will also be fed back into advocacy work at local level.
Measuring impact
“The issue is always does this make a difference, does it have an impact on behaviour?” said Clive.
Broadcasters have never needed to explain how radio programmes change people’s lives or behaviour since this is outside the remit of making engaging radio programmes, pointed out a freelance radio consultant who used to work at the BBC. But now people are trying to measure impact as there are more demands for evidence from funders.
Health Unlimited applies a monitoring and evaluation component in every project. And knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) surveys provide some baseline data about people’s health needs and behaviour by asking questions such as do you talk about condom use with friends. But Health Unlimited is wary of trying to isolate one cause of behaviour change, or claim this type of success for their: it is extremely complicated to understand why people behave in certain ways in relation to health.
Radio gets people talking and thinking – and the power of this cannot be underestimated. But laws, social relationships, culture and family dynamics are just some of the complex factors which affect people’s behaviour and health.
However, donors need to account for the money spent and demand evidence. Funding is always a problem. Radio stations often expect payment for broadcasting shows that have been produced as part of development programmes. But working with commercial sponsors is problematic because they have their own agenda. “Be wary when you take people’s money what you might end up with” said one participant who had wrangled over the all-important scripts with a sponsor.
Radio – a tool for change
Increased attention has been given to radio for development recently, often in reference to newer information and communication technologies (ICTs). Clive Nettleton introduced some of Health Unlimited’s work on radio soap operas and phone-in shows.
Developing content in consultation with audiences and training local staff to do everything from technical production to writing has sustained strong radio programmes in Cambodia and Rwanda and enabled local people to make decisions quickly. Expertise from the UK was drafted in when needed including writers from BBC Radio Four’s The Archers who trained local writers.
A radio soap opera in Afghanistan was Health Unlimited’s first success with radio broadcasting, explained Clive Nettleton. The soap opera communicated messages about immunisation in the early 1990s – during the time a ceasefire was being negotiated in Afghanistan – as part of a World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF immunisation drive. The programme was broadcast on the BBC World Service.
Radio soap operas and phone-in shows followed in Cambodia in 1998 and Rwanda in 1999. Smaller scale phone-in shows are broadcast in Latin America.
Making radio drama work
Health Unlimited has found that everything from accents, to religious beliefs, to where people live all have an impact on how people relate to the characters in radio dramas and soap operas. Consulting with diverse groups has helped to reach different people. But radio dramas need to hook people’s interest. They pose problems rather than provide answers and people need to talk about them.
Listening time is around 12 minutes. “If you are using drama, it has to be really good drama. If people turn it off it is no good,” said Clive. Four of five star characters in Health Unlimited’s shows hook the audiences into the dramas which include storylines about relevant health issues.
Sexual and reproductive health is the focus of Health Unlimited’s Cambodian soap opera, which over time has evolved into a programme for young people. There is now a drive to reach young people in rural areas as well as in cities.
In Rwanda – where two thirds of the adult population listen to the radio soap Urunana, or 'Hand in Hand' – messages about mosquitoes transmitting malaria were incorporated into the storylines. Audience surveys had revealed that people believed that malaria was transmitted by sucking the end of maize – not an illogical belief as the harvest season for maize coincides with the rainy season when there are more mosquitoes.
Beyond radio
The reach of Urunana in Rwanda was demonstrated when 200,000 listeners phoned in to answer a question about who were the most popular characters. The writers then killed off two of the least popular characters to create a storyline about AIDS orphans.
Public meetings complement the radio soap and phone in shows. At one meeting 20,000 people were present and people from the crowd got up on stage to ask the radio agony aunt what the symptoms of syphilis and gonorrhoea were, breaking through taboos about sexual health.
Women in Somaliland set up groups to listen to one of Health Unlimited’s Rwandan drama programmes together and started using it as a tool for advocacy. “We don’t know how widespread this was,” said Clive, “but something was starting to happen spontaneously.”
In Rwanda, Health Unlimited has just started an extension project to facilitate listener groups with members of local community-based organisations. The discussions will be recorded for feedback into the programme but will also be fed back into advocacy work at local level.
Measuring impact
“The issue is always does this make a difference, does it have an impact on behaviour?” said Clive.
Broadcasters have never needed to explain how radio programmes change people’s lives or behaviour since this is outside the remit of making engaging radio programmes, pointed out a freelance radio consultant who used to work at the BBC. But now people are trying to measure impact as there are more demands for evidence from funders.
Health Unlimited applies a monitoring and evaluation component in every project. And knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) surveys provide some baseline data about people’s health needs and behaviour by asking questions such as do you talk about condom use with friends. But Health Unlimited is wary of trying to isolate one cause of behaviour change, or claim this type of success for their: it is extremely complicated to understand why people behave in certain ways in relation to health.
Radio gets people talking and thinking – and the power of this cannot be underestimated. But laws, social relationships, culture and family dynamics are just some of the complex factors which affect people’s behaviour and health.
However, donors need to account for the money spent and demand evidence. Funding is always a problem. Radio stations often expect payment for broadcasting shows that have been produced as part of development programmes. But working with commercial sponsors is problematic because they have their own agenda. “Be wary when you take people’s money what you might end up with” said one participant who had wrangled over the all-important scripts with a sponsor.
(From Exchange lunchtime discussion, October 18th, 2005) |
| URL: |
http://www.healthcomms.org/comms/integ/ld-radio-oct05.html
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