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)