New African Television Drama Addresses HIV/AIDS, Other Diseases
The first installment of "Centre 4," a new medical television series that features characters addressing "life and death challenges" such as HIV/AIDS, was broadcast across sub-Saharan Africa yesterday. The show, which targets viewers between the ages of 18 and 35, is based in a rural health center and features a cast of Ugandan characters facing problems such as HIV, malaria and cholera. "Important health information has been seamlessly blended with drama in each episode of 'Centre 4.' ... We hope viewers will watch each week as the drama unfolds, but we also want them to begin to practice the healthier behaviors portrayed in the show," Cheryl Lettenmaier, executive producer of the series, said. The show will air each Wednesday on TV Africa in Uganda and in more than 20 other African nations. The program was developed by the Delivery of Improved Services for Health II project, which is a collaboration between the Ugandan Ministry of Health and a team led by representatives from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs (Johns Hopkins University release, 10/2).
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