Media Council of Malawi hopes training will increase HIV testing

Media Council of Malawi (MCM) hopes the training it organised for journalists in the country will help journalists to be free to get tested for HIV and disclose their status and pass on the message as well to all Malawians.

Acting Executive Director of MCM Vales Machira spoke this during the opening of a two day workshop on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights in Lilongwe.

“It is my hope that fear to go for HIV testing, feeling shy to disclose one’s status will all be a thing of the past after this workshop. I also hope that human rights issues that are directly linked with HIV/AIDS will also be promoted after this workshop” said Machira.

A sign promoting HIV testing

Facilitator of the workshop who is also National Coordinator for the Network of Journalists Living with HIV and AIDS David Kamkwamba said there is need to know human rights issues as they relate to HIV/AIDS in Malawi for proper media coverage.

“Journalist needs to know and increase their knowledge base on human rights issues that are directly linked to HIV and AIDS both locally and globally. This will also create free interaction among reporters,” said Kamkwamba.

One of the participating journalists at the workshop Chimwemwe Manda of Transworld Radio (TWR) said she is happy citing that she will now know how to report human rights and HIV/AIDS related issues.

“I am happy because I will be able to report the two as they relate, unlike in the past when I could report without knowing how to link the two,’ she said.

The workshop was attended by journalists drawn from different media houses across the central region.

National Aids Commission (NAC) funded the workshop. A similar workshop took place in the northern region and another one will also take place in the southern region.

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