‘NewsHour’ to Feature AIDS in Africa Series This Week

Beginning today, PBS' "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" will feature a four-part series on "the crushing impact of AIDS on the people, the culture and the economies" of Malawi and Botswana. Senior correspondent Elizabeth Farnsworth and producer Joanne Elgart of the San Francisco-based KQED/NewsHour team travelled to "two of Africa's most stricken countries" and interviewed government leaders, physicians, caregivers, volunteers and patients with HIV for the broadcast. They discovered "heartening" news that "real efforts are underway to deal with the disease," including work by volunteers. Show Executive Producer Lester Crystal said, "While there has been much debate about how to save lives and stop the spread of AIDS in Africa, there has been little on-site television coverage about the situation. NewsHour decided to commit the time and resources to document the dire impact of AIDS in Africa because it is urgent news on every level -- local, national and international." The Kaiser HIV/AIDS Daily Report will cover the shows following each broadcast, and NewsHour Online will feature a special site about the series, adding daily updates, special reports and links. To access the site, click here. KQED will broadcast the evening show in San Francisco, but check your local listings for show information in your area (KQED/NewsHour release, 5/10).