Target Audience Reach of the Sida Dans La Cité AIDS Prevention Television Series in C⊚te D'ivoire

Abstract

This paper uses sample survey data to examine the reach of SIDA dans la Cité (SDLC), a popular television series on Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. Within the intervention area where SDLC was televised, the program targeted those with an elevated risk of contracting the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and those with low socioeconomic status who were likely to have limited access to health information and services. The results indicate that in electrified regions, the SDLC program achieved very good reach among the elevated-risk groups and moderate to good reach among the low socioeconomic status groups. The finding that rural populations obtain AIDS information overwhelmingly from radio and television implies that televised HIV prevention information can play a crucial role in electrified rural regions.