Media and Public Health Communication at the Grassroots: Village Cinemas and HIV Education in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Aims of the SeriesThe International Association for Media and Communications Research (IAMCR) has been, for over 50 years, a focal point and unique platform for academic debate and discussion on a variety of topics and issues generated by its many thematic Sections and Working groups (see http://iamcr.org/) This new series specifically links to the intellectual capital of the IAMCR and offers more systematic and comprehensive opportunities for the publication of key research and debates. It will provide a forum for collective knowledge production and exchange through trans-disciplinary contributions. In the current phase of globalizing processes and increasing interactions, the series will provide a space to rethink those very categories of space and place, time and geography through which communication studies has evolved, thus contributing to identifying and refining concepts, theories and methods with which to explore the diverse realities of communication in a changing world. Its central aim is to provide a platform for knowledge exchange from different geo-cultural contexts. Books in the series will contribute diverse and plural perspectives on communication developments including from outside the Anglo-speaking world which is much needed in today's globalized world in order to make sense of the complexities and intercultural challenges communication studies are facing.

Health and Nutrition Promotion Programs in Papua New Guinea: A Scoping Review

“…Of the total 23 articles included, there were 17 peer-reviewed articles [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38], five grey literature reports [39][40][41][42][43], and one book chapter [44]. Five were quantitative studies [23,29,30,39,40], 13 were qualitative [22,24,25,28,[31][32][33][34][35][36][42][43][44], and five were mixed-methods [26,27,37,38,41]. The included publications (1996 to 2022) spanned over a period of 26 years.…”

“…Ten programs targeted infectious diseases, TB (n = 5) [22,23,[39][40][41] and malaria (n = 5) [24][25][26][27][28]. Nine programs targeted sexually transmitted diseases and sexual health, HIV (n = 7) [29][30][31][32][33][42][43][44], with three specifically targeting parent-to-child HIV transmission [29][30][31], HPV (n = 1) [34], and one on family planning (n = 1) [35]. One health promotion program addressed health services [36].…”

“…The programs aimed to either control, prevent or reduce the disease burden of TB, malaria, HIV, HPV, betel nut chewing and T2DM through different health-promoting strategies, which could be categorised by the following key action areas of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (Figure 3): Four programs took place at a national level across PNG [22,23,26,35], and nine programs were delivered at a community level across PNG [32] and in different regions of PNG, including Highlands [24,25,33,39,43,44], Highlands, Momase and Southern PNG [42], and New Guinea Islands [38]. Eight programs were in the health setting, targeting health workers or people attending hospitals and/or health service clinics or facilities across PNG [28,36] as well as specifically in New Guinea Islands [40], Southern [41], Highlands [27,29], Southern and Highlands [30,31], and Momase and Highlands [34].…”

“…Twelve programs focused on developing personal skills. Ten programs incorporated a component of training, education or awareness raising as a strategy to spread knowledge about the disease for increased prevention, screening or treatment [24,25,33,34,[37][38][39][40][42][43][44], and three programs focused on the provision of counselling and care [29,30,39].…”

Communication, information and the media

“…5-6). In rural areas where the majority of households do not have televisions, some people charge entry fees to allow others to view their screens -such enterprises are known as 'village cinemas' ('haus piksa' or 'CD haus' in Tok Pisin) (Matbob et al, 2011, p. 8;Thomas and Eby, 2016). Low levels of literacy continue to present a challenge to text-based mediums, particularly newspapers (ABC International Development, 2019, p. 6;Elapa, 2011, p. 119;Logan and Suwamaru, 2017, p. 284;Matbob et al, 2011, p. 6;Perottet and Robie, 2011, p. 166;Rooney, 2017a;Williams, 2019, p. 3).…”