TREATMENT LITERACY

Treatment Literacy refers to providing accurate information about the science behind the disease and treatment, in this case for HIV and AIDS. Treatment Literacy is based on the belief that if people are more aware of the science behind their disease and how their medication works, then they are more able to understand prevention strategies, how they may reduce their risk of infection, how antiretroviral drugs work and why adherence is critical. Treatment Literacy also promotes advocacy around access to treatment and service delivery.

The Siyayinqoba Beat It! Treatment Literacy Series (TLS) is a non-broadcast series that provides detailed treatment literacy information. The TLS is intended for training peer educators, treatment supporters, home-based care givers and people living with HIV/AIDS. It is designed for any organisation that wants to provide training support for HIV/AIDS services. The series consists of 21 DVDs, each covering a different topic, and is available in isiXhosa, English, Portuguese and isiZulu.

Click here to find out more about the TLS.

CHMT & Treatment Literacy in Southern Africa

Click here to read the latest about Treatment Literacy in Southern Africa.

The CHMT Treatment Literacy Project recently returned from a hugely successful visit to our partner project, MATRAM (Mozambique Treatment Access Movement), in Mozambique. The trip saw Dr Jack Lewis, project director, Vuyani Jacobs, and project advisor and manager Abigail Smith visit MATRAM in Maputo for three days in mid October. The basis of the trip was for CHMT to asses the success of the partnership with MATRAM and to discuss the way forward into 2009. Juliet Mureriwa from OSISA joined CHMT in Maputo. OSISA has funded the production of the Portuguese Siyayinqoba Beat It! Treatment Literacy Series as well as the first year of the outreach project undertaken by MATRAM in Mozambique. It was a successful trip on all fronts and CHMT is hopeful the successful partnership with MATRAM will continue into 2009.

In addition to the meetings held with MATRAM, meetings were held with TIM TV which is a Maputo based community television station that will soon have a broadcast footprint that will reach most of Mozambique. TIM TV is interested in using inserts from our Portuguese Treatment Literacy series to facilitate discussions in a weekly, live, 30 minute, HIV specialty segment. The segment will be part of a daily show called 21^st Hour and will appear during the show's weekly episode on health and the environment. CHMT has been in the process of developing a similar model for South African community channels, which will hopefully go live in 2009, and is excited about the prospect of bringing scientifically sound HIV/AIDS messaging to communities across Southern Africa through this live and interactive broadcast format.