MEDIA AND HIV/AIDS IN CITIES-TANZANIA EXPERIENCE

HIV/AIDS has been regarded as a pandemic in most of developing countries like Tanzania and it is a subject of significance. Various organizations and companies have launched media programmes like skits, street theater,spot exhibiting,group discussion Video and TV shows are used during campaigns to raise awareness for the HIV/AIDS prevention. The study assesses the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns through advertisements amongst youth in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.Interest in this study has developed in recent years. The study also examined the perception of the youths towards the available adverts campaigns, the most important medium through which most of the youths have been informed, and language used in the campaign advertisements and its influence on awareness of youths towards HIV/AIDS preventions. A Cross-sectional study design was employed and sampled 120 youths aging from 10 to 30 and above, living at Dar es Salaam city.Data were collected using structured questionnaire and focus group discussion to the youth.It is recommended that these advertisements have to be mostly in language which is understandable to most Tanzania.