The Impact of Cheni Cheni Radio Program and Discussion Groups

Malawi has over 1.2 million people living with AIDS (PLWHAs) and about 770,000 children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. The Cheni Cheni Nchiti(CCN) radio programme was produced by the BRIDGE II project of the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP) as part of HIV/AIDS control efforts in Malawi. Combining the CCN reality radio programme with follow-on discussions of its content among listeners through formal listener groups increased the impact of their interventions on the intended audiences- indicative of the mediating effects interpersonal communication can have on media programmes. However, the design of the CCN and future programmes should be expanded to include components that address structural barriers (like poverty, and limited access to services) to attitude and behaviour change.