The country of Malawi has faced serious public health problems due to a lack of understanding about disease prevention. To address this concern, the country’s Ministry of Health has combined radio and social media for an interactive communications campaign called “Moyo ndi Mpamba!” (“Life is Precious!”).
According to eLearning Africa, using a radio drama program, Malawi has reached 55 percent of its targeted audience and has them interact with the show through SMS and social media to teach them about malaria, child health, family planning and more.
Labeled as “edutainment,” the 30-minute programs detail community life as characters learn to deal with the challenges that reflect the real-life health problems of Malawi. A feedback program highlighting the audience’s reaction from SMS and Facebook is then aired.
Chancy Mauluka, from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Communications Program, showcased “Life is Precious!” at the 10th eLearning Africa conference, which took place in May in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
