TV dramas delivering health messages

TV dramas delivering health messages

JAKARTA (JP): Kumia and Samsu love each other. But, when Samsu
asks his girl friend to marry him, Kumia is reluctant. The idea
of getting married and having babies frightens her. A few years
ago, Kumia's mother died giving birth.

Kumia's limited knowledge on reproductive health will prevent
her from becoming a happy wife and healthy mother. Only after she
obtains adequate information on maternal health will she be able
to accept Samsu's proposal.

Kumia and Samsu are the leading roles in Slamet Rahardjo
Djarot's Selamat Pagi Ibu dan Ayah (Good morning Mother and
Father), a television drama aimed at raising awareness on mothers
and babies health in order to reduce infant and maternal
mortality rates in Indonesia.

The production is one of several TV dramas jointly supported
by the John Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs
in the U.S., the National Family Planning Board, and TPI
television station.

John Hopkins's has already supported the following TV
productions: Alang-Alang (Tall Grass), Perkawinan Siti Zubaedah
(The Marriage of Siti Zubaedah) -- both directed by Teguh
Karya,Tasi O Tasi (by the late Arifin C. Noer) and Angin Rumput
Savana (The Wind of the Savanna Grass) by Garin Nugroho.

It has most recently lent support to Kembang Untuk Nur
(Flowers for Nur), directed by Nan Triveni Achnas and created for
Suami Siaga, the Caring Husbands campaign, to promote a safe
motherhood program.

Serial dramas or soap operas have proved effective in
spreading messages about reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, safe
motherhood and other health issues. Radio and television have
spread the message in countries as varied as Egypt, Ghana, India,
Mexico, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Fitri Putjuk, representative of the John Hopkins University's
Center for Communication Programs in Jakarta, said recently that
world governments and health institutions are using multimedia
approaches to combat health problems.

"Bombastic speeches by government officials and health
workers, unattractive posters and plain brochures are less
convincing," Fitri explained.

In the past, communication about family planning, child
immunization, infant and maternal health and reproductive health
was presented in rigid formats.

Since the early 1980s, John Hopkins has been developing an
Enter-Educate approach combining education, information and
entertainment to convey messages that will appeal to target
audiences.

"People voluntarily seek entertainment. They may acquire
knowledge, change their attitudes and act differently as a result
of messages conveyed in an entertaining way," Fitri said.

The effectiveness of an entertainment and multimedia approach
in health programs is proving effective due to the increasing
number of readers, TV and radio audiences. It is estimated that
by the year 2000, there will be two billion television receivers
worldwide.

"Television and radio dramas are one of the most persuasive
ways to inform people about certain health issues because of
their far-reaching audiences," Fitri said.

Even on a small scale, an entertainment approach can be
influential. Short radio or television spots in which a story is
told that involves popular characters are more compelling than
methods which preach at people or urge action.

"A message that arouses emotion is effective because people's
capacity to learn improves when their emotions are aroused," she
said.

Emotional messages are often best delivered in formats such as
song, drama, or even a comic sequence.

"Enter-Educate is just part of a holistic communications
strategy to promote health issues," Fitri said.

The United Nations Center for International Research estimates
that the world population will increase dramatically from about
5.84 billion in 1997 to over 8.036 billion in the year 2025. The
massive population will ensure health problems become more
complex.

To reach and serve such a large population, new health
campaigns will involve effective communication strategies boosted
by other elements such as distribution, evaluation systems and
interpersonal communication skills.

Indonesia's family planning program, which began in the late
1960s, provides an example of changes within the health field.

John Hopkins University has supported the family planning
program in Indonesia since launching Lingkaran Biru, the Blue
Circle campaign in 1987.

"Family planning and other health campaigns initially used a
top-down approach. Bureaucrats' roles in determining program
formats was overwhelming," Fitri said.

Such programs in the past in the main produced simple
brochures and flip charts to supplement lectures and counseling.

"The campaigns often failed because of poor communication
strategies," she said.

Communications was originally conceptualized as a simple
transmission of messages from a source to a receiver with the
intention of producing effects.

"That was of the biggest obstacles for the effective use of
communications," she noted.

Compounding the problem were entrenched attitudes of
government officials, health providers and volunteers who,
despite good intentions, frequently hampered the implementation
of effective health campaigns.

"We have money. Let's print posters, brochures and do
workshops. If I conveyed a lot of messages, my job was finished,"
said Fitri summarizing the former stance.

The initial family planning campaigns attempted to communicate
the same messages to everyone, rather than targeting a segmented
audience in accordance to their varying needs for information.

"Many government officials tend to be self-righteous. (They
believe) people should follow their instructions. We have to
change this attitude by doing health campaigns differently."

The unprecedented growth of the mass media -- print, radio,
television and computer communication -- raise new possibilities
for rapid global communication.

Family planning and other health communication programs must
now follow a tested, step-by-step process that is goal-oriented,
audience-focused, systematic and responsive to feedback.

"Integrated health programs benefit both the government and
the people," said Fitri. (raw)