BBC World Service Trust

The BBC World Service Trust, a not-for-profit organisation within the BBC, was created to promote development through the innovative use of the media. The Trust focuses on three sectors: health, education and media training and has projects in more than 40 countries around the world. It puts particular emphasis on research and learning, ensuring that its projects are well designed and that their impact is properly evaluated.

Programs in India

In India, the Trust is working in partnership with the National AIDS Control Organisation and Doordarshan to raise awareness about HIV in India. The partnership produces two television serials,Jasoos Vijay and Haath Se Haath Milaa, as well as public services advertisements.

The Trust came to India in 1999 to work in partnership the Indian Ministry of Health and state broadcasters on the world's largest anti-leprosy media campaign. The campaign contributed to more than 200,000 new leprosy patients coming forward for treatment.

In October 2001, the National AIDS Control Organisation, Prasar Bharti and the BBC World Service Trust established a fresh partnership to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and promote behavior change. At the heart of the project is TV entertainment programming with high production values that contain intensively researched messaging about HIV/AIDS. The campaign is funded by the British government's Department for International Development.

As well as Haath Se Haath Milaa, the Trust makes Jasoos Vijay, an enormously successful detective series, and public service advertisements on HIV/AIDS. The TV output produced by this unique partnership has reached an estimated 250 million TV viewers in India, won several international and national awards, and has proved a powerful tool in changing attitudes and behavior related to HIV/AIDS.

Access www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/trust/ for more information

National AIDS Control Organization (NACO)

Soon after reporting of the first few HIV/AIDS cases in the country in 1986, Government recognised the seriousness of the problem and took a series of important measures to tackle the epidemic. By this time AIDS had already attained epidemic proportion in the African region and was spreading rapidly in many countries of the world. Government of India without wasting any time initiated steps and started pilot screening of high risk population. A high powered National AIDS Committee was constituted in 1986 itself and a National AIDS Control Programme was launched in year 1987.

To formulate strategy and plan for implementation of prevention and contro:l of HIV/AIDS in the country, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare constituted a National AIDS Committee in Year 1986, under the chairmanship of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with representatives from various sectors. The committee was formed with a view to bring together various ministries, non-Government organisations and private institutions for effective co-ordination in implementing the programme. The committee acts as the highest-level deliberation body to oversee the performance of the programme and to provide overall policy directions, and to forge multisectoral collaborations. Last meeting (5th) of the National AIDS Committee was held on 24th September, 1998 in Vigyan Bhavan, presided over by the Hon'ble Minister of state for Health & Family Welfare.

In the initial years the programme focussed on generation of public awareness through more communication programmes, introduction of blood screening for transfusion purpose and conducting surveillance activities in the epicenters of the epidemic.

Access http://www.nacoonline.org for more information

Doordarshan

Doordarshan opened its windows to the world by launching its international channel on 14th March, 1995. The Channel, earlier known as DD World was renamed DD India in 2002. The programming offers international viewers an update on the Indian social, cultural, political and economic scene.

DD India was launched with a mission "to build bridges of communication with Indians living abroad and to showcase the real India, its culture, its values, its traditions, its modernity, its diversity, its unity, its agony and its ecstasy to the entire world through programmes of high quality, that will inform, educate and entertain people in the highest traditions of public service broadcasting."

DD India is up-linked from New Delhi and can be watched in 146 countries across the world through PAS -9 and PAS -10 satellites. DD India carries news bulletins, features on topical events, entertainment programmes, feature films, music and dance, children programmes, events and tourism. In addition to Hindi and English, programmes in Urdu, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati and Marathi form an essential ingredient of this international channel's offering.

For more information access http://www.ddindia.gov.in