Development action with informed and engaged societies
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Radio and Diabetes

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This was a radio campaign, started in 1970 in Jamaica, which attempted to educate the public about diabetes symptoms, treatments, and ways of living a normal life while suffering with the disease. (120,000 people - 6% of the population have diabetes.) The programme was meant to be a creative and "up-tempo" show which required no need for deep concentration to understand the point that was trying to be taught.
Communication Strategies

The radio comedy series was set in a deprived area of Jamaica. It focused on issues of hypoglycemia awareness, with radio characters discussing and instructing on diabetes issues. The Jamaican language was used to create a less formal feel for the show. A post-script was delivered on the issues and points covered by each program and a comic book was created for younger and low-level readers.

Development Issues

Diabetes.

Key Points

A large proportion of the population has diabetes, and this number cannot been lowered in any way, but the knowledge of the disease and the symptoms of it often go unnoticed. The programme chose radio as the media because of its greatest accessibility and penetration as opposed to other media in Jamaica. Objectives were to allow for identification of differences between Type 1 and Type 2, to apply self-monitoring knowledge, and to increase discussion of the topic.

Partners

Jamaican Diabetes Association, School of Continuing Studies - University of the West Indies.

Sources

A Field Report on Diabetes Education through Radio in Jamaica by Alma Mock Yen, Radio Education Unit, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.

Comments

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 11/19/2004 - 15:46 Permalink

This page did not give any of the informatio I needed for this work I am doing and neither did the other pages.

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/11/2005 - 20:27 Permalink

i was looking for info on Mock Yen..This site was EXTREMELY irrelevant!!!!!



[Editor: Alma Mock Yen is the contact person for the Radio and Diabetes - Jamaica Programme Experience and Impact Summary.]