فاعلية الحملات الإعلامية في مكافحة الأمراض المستوطنة بالسودان: دراسة وصفية تحليلية

Abstract

The study considered the effect of mass media in combating the endemic diseases in Kasala, Sudan. A descriptive, analytical study applied on the Ministry of Health, Kasala State, Sudan during the period 2010 – 2014. The purpose of the study is to establish the concept of mass media and modality of communicating the health awareness messages to the community. The population is suffering from Malaria and Tuberculosis due to the location of Kasala in Sudan as a border state and the influx of refugees and displaced people from the neighboring countries who are disease carriers. The study intended to explain the mass media practices applied in mass media campaigns in eradicating diseases and reducing rates of endemic diseases infection through health awareness and education. The study adopted the descriptive, historical and analytical approach. The questionnaire has been designed to include various questions in order to understand the scope of the problem. The researcher selected the study sample willfully for the purpose being accurately representative of the community. There is no equivalency in the sample units but rather the researcher distributed: • 60 forms for the staff of Kasala Ministry of Health • 40 forms for mass media people employed in different institutions in the state of Kasala • 30 forms as a random sample for citizens of the state. The questionnaire has been analyzed to enable reaching the study findings. The study includes four chapters as follows: Chapter One: Research Methodology Framework & Previous Studies, Chapter Two :Mass Media Guidance and Awareness Functions, Chapter Three: Mass Media Campaigns and their Effect in Combating Endemic Diseases Specially Malaria and Tuberculosis, Chapter Four: Field Study, Analysis, Findings, Recommendations, References, Indices and Schedules. The study reached the following findings and results: • Radio broadcasting is the best media in health awareness campaigns (43.1%), • TV broadcasting is the second successful media (32.3%), • Internet is the least effective media, which the researcher attributed to the limited use of this media. The results reached also show that health awareness messages come on the top of the effective messages (56.9%) than protective methods (11.5%). According to the study, the main impediment hampering mass media message is the scarcity of sufficient budgeted funds (38.5%) including other shortcomings. The study concluded that audio media are the most effective methods in communicating health messages to targeted audience (57.5%) while the printed matter case the lowest (5.8%). The study concluded that Malaria is on the top of endemic diseases in Kasala State (43.1%) then Tuberculosis (19.2%) for which mass media awareness campaigns should concentrate. The main recommendations of the study are as follows: 1. The Ministry of Health in Kasala State should give due consideration to mass media department by providing sufficient budgets in order to achieve its objectives properly. 2. Concentrating on mass media campaigns directed to Malaria and Tuberculosis diseases and employing the best effective media and awareness protective messages targeting as much as possible of the population. 3.Introducing new and advanced procedures and methods of alleviating these diseases and protection against them and medication.