50% of SFH’s programme beneficiaries are the poor.

50% of rural pregnant women and children under 5 sleep under long lasting insecticide treated nets in at least two focus states.
Modern contraceptive prevalence rate increases from 11% to 16%.

Consistent condom use among high risk groups increases by 20%.

SFH MISSION

Society for Family Health has a mission to empower Nigerians, particularly the poor and vulnerable to lead healthier lives...more 

Expanding the Frontiers of Harmonisation with the Media for HIV prevention: Partnering with NN24

The plaque presented to NN24

The United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) funded Enhancing Nigeria’s Response to HIV and AIDS (ENR) Programme is a 6-year, integrated institutional strengthening and HIV prevention programme. The programme is managed by a consortium of eight partners with the Society for Family Health as the lead managing agent. The programme has three outputs to realise its purpose of  improving the access of those most vulnerable to infection to effective HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support information and services. The project works in 7 states (Benue, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Lagos, Ogun, Cross River and Akwa Ibom), but conducts nationwide distribution and mass media activities aimed at promoting HIV prevention in Nigeria, which is a country with one of the largest numbers of persons living with HIV and AIDS. 


NN24 and SFH staff in front of the Nicon hotel,
Victoria Garden City, Lagos

A ENR supported media forum was held with the Chief Executives of radio and television stations in Lagos State with the aim of improving media reporting on HIV and AIDS issues. The outcome of the meeting was the formation of a 7 member media committee with the Chief Executive Officer of NN24 television as a member. The committee identified the need for the training of radio and television producers to improve their knowledge in packaging of HIV and AIDS messages for consistency and accuracy.  

As a result of the forum, NN24 television news channel, a CNN affiliate partner in West Africa with a wide reach across the whole of Nigeria, West, Central and Eastern Africa committed to professional journalism and best practices, provided its platform for the promotion of messages relating to prevention of HIV. In fulfilment of their corporate social responsibility, NN24 donated 876 free slots to the ENR programme for an initial one year. The transmission started on August 30, 2010 and will run until August 27, 2011. 


NN24’s CEO, Mr. Anthony Dara receiving a plaque
 from the MD of SFH, Sir Bright Ekweremadu, in
recognition of NN24’s contribution to the HIV/AIDS
response in Nigeria

The free slots from NN24 amounted to over N30million worth of airtime donated for HIV prevention activities in Nigeria. In recognition of this noteworthy action, SFH decided to honour NN24. The Chief Executive of NN24 accompanied by top management staff received the plaque from the Managing Director of SFH at a special award ceremony at the Nicon Hotel, Victoria Garden City in Lagos in January 2011.

By Dr Segun Oyedeji