Abstract

In recent times, there has been an upsurge in the production of HIV/AIDS Information Education and Communication (IEC) materials for young people in Zimbabwe. This comes after a long-standing failure to address the HIV epidemic amongst this group, and the manifestation of World Health Organisation’s guidelines for strengthening HIV/AIDS interventions for young people at risk or living with HIV. The aim of this study is to explore factors that strengthen the vigorous production of youth multimedia HIV/AIDS IEC in Zimbabwe. It responds to the research question: “what are the factors ensuing the strengthened production of youth HIV/AIDS IEC?” The study is informed by the Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977) which postulates that human beings learn from interactive situations through observation, followed by assimilation, and then imitation of positive behaviours. The extensive production of multi-media HIV/AIDS IEC in Zimbabwe is partly associated with the objective to modify undesirable behaviours that lead to youth vulnerability, owing to various socio-demographic factors defining this population. It is concluded that, HIV/AIDS IEC interventions are a vital part of HIV prevention, hence their production is goal directed. Suggested is the adoption of appropriate designsand systematic evaluation of IEC, in order to adequately address youth HIV/AIDS information needs.

Key Words: HIV/AIDS IEC; Young People; HIV Prevention; SLT Model; Zimbabwe.

^JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 12, No. 1, April 2020, pp. 82-93

© Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria.

About the author

*   Clemenciana Mukenge is a lecturer of Communication Skills in Linguistics Department, University of Zimbabwe, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe. Her research interests are; HIV and AIDS communication, Language and Media, ‘New Englishes’ and English as a Second Language.

Full Article

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Article Citation

Mukenge, C. (2020). HIV/AIDS information, education and communication in Zimbabwe: Why focus on young people? Journal of Communication and Media Research, 12 (1): 82 – 93.