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Soul Beat Africa
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PataPata Radio Programme

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Launched in April 2011, PataPata is a radio programme designed to inform and encourage children in Tanzania aged 6-12 to become involved in the fight against malaria. The radio drama follows the adventures of Kinara, Maua, and Annie Anopheles as they learn about malaria. PataPata was developed as part of the Communication and Malaria Initiative in Tanzania (COMMIT), a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and President's Malaria Initiative (PMI)-funded project that is led by Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs (CCP).
Communication Strategies

PataPata comprises 44 10-minute episodes, which are being broadcast on four national and six regional radio stations across Tanzania. The goal of the programme is to change perceptions about malaria as an unpreventable fact of life with little reason for individuals to take preventative actions, and build a culture that supports the country's Malaria Haikubaliki (ìMalaria is not acceptableî) campaign.

PataPata uses an enter-educate approach to deliver key malaria messages on net use, malaria diagnosis and treatment, as well as other issues of interest to children. In the programme, Annie Anopheles is a malaria-transmitting mosquito. She tries to befriend Kinara and his friend Maua by feeding them misinformation about malaria.

Click here to listen to the PataPata promotional spot in MP3 format.

In May 2011, over 2,000 radios using solar energy were distributed in rural areas country wide to facilitate the spreading of the anti-malaria messages to children.

Development Issues

Malaria, Children

Key Points

Communication and Malaria Initiative in Tanzania (COMMIT) is a five year project funded by USAID and the Presidentís Malaria Initiative (PMI). The programme is implementing a comprehensive strategy for behaviour change and communication in the prevention and case management of malaria in mainland Tanzania. Specifically, COMMIT supports the Tanzania Ministry of Health and National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) Communication Strategy objectives of (1) influencing positive behaviour change among target audiences through a comprehensive approach, (2) improving the flow of information to key target audiences, and (3) advocacy to raise the profile of malaria.

Partners

Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs (CCP), Jhpiego, Population Services International (PSI), the Research Triangle Institute (RTI), PMI, and the Tanzania Ministry of Health and National Malaria Control Program (NMCP).

Sources

Center for Communication Programs website and New Habari website on May 27, 2011.