By M&M Reporter
Digital television service provider StarTimes has announced that it is set to increase HIV/AIDS awareness content aimed at Kenyan youths on its mobile app.
The announcement follows an agreement with UN specialized on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS geared towards expanding the content of the joint awareness programmer.
StarTimes App (click to link in bold letters todownload app) allows subscribers and users to watch high quality educational, history, nature, sports, movies and news content drawn from across the world through their smartphones.
Under the “Value of new media in Africa, HIV/AIDS Prevention Campaign” the StarTimes and UNAIDS have agreed to explore technology to spread HIV/AIDS related content.
New HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths are likely to occur among the youth in Africa as HIV/AIDS prevention information and knowledge is yet to reach out to them efficiently. It has been an urgent issue for global HIV/AIDS Prevention Campaign to engage more young people in prevention.
UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé noted his agency had seen progress in most countries today, but the biggest challenge that in the fight against the scourge face is complacency.
“The young people don’t have information; they don’t have knowledge, so they don’t protect themselves. Information, knowledge and education is key and that’s why StarTimes is a very strategic partner for us,” said Sidibe.
StarTimes Group Vice President Guo Ziqi noted that, “Based on current technology trends, StarTimes launched its video streaming service in African markets with StarTimes App.
“The App has so far attracted over 8 million downloads and the figure is expected to reach 15 million at the end of 2018. StarTimes App will now be streaming the “Zero Discrimination” messages being part of the cooperation with UNAIDS, ” said Guo.
With over 70 per cent of the population in Africa being below the age of 35 and without adequate HIV/AIDS information, the partnership with StarTimes will completely change the situation and help grow a generation free of AIDS.
“Sharing information, bringing knowledge and making sure that we can change young people will be key to ending AIDS,” added Mr. Sidibé.
With smartphone use and internet penetration soaring, Africa is set for a communication way revolution. Similarly in Europe, US and China, more and more African young people, get used to watching stream videos on phones.
The launch of StarTimes App for HIV prevention is timely and appropriate as it will enhance respective the country efforts to reduce HIV infection, particularly on young people.
During the meeting, Guo introduced the China-Africa Cooperation project, “Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages”, which is being undertaken by StarTimes, and proposed to explore possible ways to help popularize HIV/AIDS prevention information and knowledge in rural areas with the platform.
The project of “Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages” was first announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2015. Chinese government will aid each of 10,112 African villages with two StarTimes Projector TVs, one 32 inch Digital TV set and 20 DTH decoders and satellite dishes.
UNAIDS and StarTimes formally established partnership on 12th May, 2017 with signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Beijing “to reduce the impact of HIV across Africa by disseminating messages to the general public to increase awareness of HIV and UNAIDS’ work and reduce stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV and populations affected by HIV”.
After the establishment of partnership, StarTimes and UNAIDS are boosting their cooperation in different African countries, aiming to mobilizing all available resources to enhance the awareness of HIV/AIDS in the continent.
“With more broadcasting platforms and a bigger and diversified subscriber base and richer content, we will be able to make the best of all our resources to help end the AIDS epidemic by 2030,” concluded Guo.
