The HIV/AIDS epidemic has potentially devastating consequences for all of Africa, where more than 12 million Africans have died from the disease and where misinformation continues to claim lives.
The media in Africa has a critical role to play in helping raise public awareness about the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Accurate, timely reporting has the potential to both promote prevention of HIV/AIDS and reduce the stigma associated with the virus. Journalists who understand the public policy implications and the medical facts of HIV/AIDS and who are also aware of the myths that surround the disease will be more likely to write and produce stories that hold governments accountable, educate the public on how to cope with the disease and help discredit stereotypes associated with HIV/AIDS.
Reporting on HIV/AIDS: A Resource Guide is a collection of resources that every journalist with an interest in reporting on HIV/AIDS will find useful. It grew out of the AWMC's online-training and was designed to give journalists access to objective, accurate information on a wide range of issues related to HIV/AIDS. It includes information on international organizations, United States government agencies, African-based healthcare and advocacy organizations, web sites and Internet forums concerned with HIV/AIDS. Each entry includes a short description and contact information. The AWMC hopes that this resource guide will become another weapon in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa.