Zimbabwean Campaign Against Stigma of HIV Awarded 2005 PSI Global Media Award

A campaign against stigma by four HIV-positive Zimbabweans has been awarded the 2005 Global Media Award by the Washington, D.C-based Population Services International, the Herald/AllAfrica.com reports. The campaign, which had the theme "Don't Be Negative About Being Positive," won in the "combined media effort on behalf of the population" category. The four awardees -- Gladys Ngwenya, Donance Kangausaru, Thembeni Fazo and Rebecca Chiroodza -- earlier this year publicly declared their HIV-positive status to fight the stigma and discrimination surrounding the virus. This was the first time that HIV-positive Zimbabweans were provided a platform to discuss openly their HIV status, the Herald/AllAfrica.com reports. The anti-stigma campaign ran both in print and on electronic media and was created and produced by PSI-Zimbabwe, sponsored USAID and the U.K. Department for International Development. The award aims to increase media coverage of population and development issues. The award will be given on Nov. 26 at a ceremony in Mexico (Herald/AllAfrica.com, 10/10).

Back to other news for October 12, 2005