Guyana Health Ministry, Media Launch HIV/AIDS PSAs

Guyana's Ministry of Health and the country's media have launched a series of HIV/AIDS advertisements and public service announcements in an attempt to strengthen their cooperation in the fight against the disease, the Starbroek News reports. The campaign, which is being carried out under the USAID/Guyana HIV/AIDS Reduction and Prevention Project, includes some PSAs that will air daily for two years. "We want to do many things, but the money is not always equal to them. We want to engage the media on what they can do on their own," Health Minster Leslie Ramsammy said, adding that GHARP soon will send a document to media executives detailing how they can become involved in efforts to combat HIV/AIDS. Ramsammy also held a meeting with media executives last week to discuss capacity building for HIV reporting, as well as increasing media involvement in HIV prevention efforts. "Communication is important for a good fight, and it is not just a matter of reporting a story and of simply making people aware. We want to influence persons' behavior," he said, adding, "Knowing how to report and the good implementation of language could work" (Starbroek News, 5/3).