The 30-minute weekly radio program, called Vida Sem Medo, or, “living without fear,” focuses on educating young people in Mozambique about the dangers of HIV/AIDS. The radio program includes segments on prevention, treatment, abstinence, faithfulness and the socio-economic costs of the disease.
The program, which began in December of 2006 and is funded by the U.S. State Department, also includes a call-in segment with a medical doctor as well as a radio drama. It was temporarily suspended because of funding issues.
This year the program plans to distribute educational CDs to community radio stations around the country and involve youth groups and community groups in the AIDS prevention program.
Saturday’s launch event at the Mozarte Youth Center in Maputo will include a youth show, a contest, and the traditional dance groups Xigubo, and Mutimba. Mozambique and U.S. health officials will discuss the program along with members of the VOA Vida Sem Medo team.
More than 16 percent of Mozambique’s 19 million people are infected with HIV/AIDS.
The Voice of America, which first went on the air in 1942, is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. Government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. VOA broadcasts approximately 1,500 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to an estimated worldwide audience of more than 125 million people. Programs are produced in 44 languages and are intended exclusively for audiences outside of the United States.
For more information, please call VOA Public Relations at (202) 203-4959 or e-mail askvoa@voanews.com.
