HIV is the #1 cause of death in Zambia but 60% of Zambian youth don't have the knowledge they need to protect themselves from HIV. UkaniManje (meaning "wake up!" in Nyanja) is a Zambian health initiative that trains and supports popular, award-winning, musicians as creators and change agents empowering youth to make healthy decisions around HIV. This project pairs top Zambian artists with public health experts to create powerful and accessible outreach messages about HIV that reach millions.
HIV is still the #1 cause of premature death in Zambia. Only 40% of Zambian youth have a comprehensive understanding of HIV. This means 60% of Zambian youth are currently unable to access necessary information on how to protect themselves or connect to medical care. The World Health Organization and UNAIDS predict interruptions from COVID-19 could result in a 10-year setback in global HIV prevention and treatment efforts. Accurate health information is more important now than ever.
UkaniManje uses innovative outreach and music to provide youth with accurate, relatable and easily accessible information on HIV, ultimately inspiring healthy behaviour change. Our artists, who have a reach of more than a million Zambians, are uniquely positioned to connect to and influence young people. Our team has created an album with videos, a corresponding radio show, road shows and curriculum. With your support we will reach youth across Zambia with accurate and relatable information.
Our campaign aims to create large-scale nation-wide changes in behaviors including an increase in testing and knowledge about HIV. Our content is designed to serve as a tool for partner organizations, government ministries, schools, youth corners, radio stations and clinics. Our music will re-energize the conversation around HIV, capturing the attention and interest of a majority-youth nation, making HIV a public health priority once again.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
