MAXIMISING THE POWER OF NEW MEDIA IN ENSURING SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

We all want a healthier world. We all want a world where every pregnancy will be wanted. Where every pregnancy is prepared and planned for. We want a world where every woman will have a choice on the number of children she wants to have, when and how to have them.

Yes, we all want a world where every lady of child bearing age will know everything about sexual and reproductive health rights.

Importantly, we want a world where every young woman will be aware of those issues that will affect and shape her future and life in general.

What are those rights? Or better put, what are those issues embedded within sexual and reproductive health that every woman MUST have right over?

There are wide range of them: contraception and family planning, adolescents education, safe abortion, Protection from harmful cultural practices, violence against women, satisfying and safe sex life, capability to reproduce, and the freedom to decide if, when and how frequently to do so. These are just some of the issues. There are many not mentioned here but which are also very essential.

How do we ensure that accurate information and safe, effective, affordable and acceptable choices regarding the above outlined issues in order for them to make an informed decision?

How do we provide information on STIs/STDs?

How do we ensure that when they decide to have children they will have access to services that can help them to have a fit pregnancy, safe delivery and healthy infant because it's their rights and not a privilege? The answer is simple. Very simple. Effective communication.

Communications involve a broad spectrum of channels. One of such channels is the New Media. As the name implies new media is relatively new because it came into being towards the end of the twentieth century. Though, it was recently integrated into the Nigerian media circle.

So what is a New Media? Because of its complex and amorphous nature, new media needs a base line or context each time it's to be discussed.

A new media is a communication channel that involves the application of technologies and techniques into getting information across to an unprecedented audience in the most fastest and efficient way possible using various tools.

It's not that simple, right? Believe me it's because as it's devoid of lot of technical terms characterizing other definitions. So what are these tools?

They include but not limited to the following: the internet, mobile communications (phones, text messaging), blogs, Social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, whatsApp, Google hangout, Periscope, YouTube), Mashups (Yahoo, Dapper, Pipes), Podcasts, RSS feeds, Emailing, Wikis, Web Widgets, Webinars, Webcast and conference etc.

Now, how do we marry sexual and reproductive health information with the new media in order to get the message across to the target audience? This is where we, as professionals, come into play. HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS.

I'm not going to say much here really, because we all have experience in practicing health communications. My only worry is that we have not been able to maximize the huge potentials associated with New Media in Nigeria but especially in northern Nigeria.

What we've utilized so far cannot even qualify to represent say 30%. The advocacy groups, the civil society organizations, the NGOs, the media organizations, the governments and even as individuals. Imagine!

Utilising the potentials of the new media in sexual and reproductive health campaigns is truly novel and apt, no doubt.

The problem here is that the penetration of the internet which is the basis for the approach is not evenly spread for now. Before we can embark on such expedition, it is necessary to consider internet penetration in Nigeria.

Presently the internet has gained 46.1% penetration in Nigeria (internet live stats). Unfortunately, this data is not broken down into religions or even sex disparity. But common sense analysis would inform that insurgency and destruction of communication infrastructure should be a major factor in Northern Nigeria.

Apart from that, our primary target audience across the country are women of childbearing age and young mothers, the majority of whom belong to the low-income group who can hardly afford the cost of data required for the new media. Even when some of them own smartphones, monthly subscription fees becomes an obstacle.

Literacy level is another factor here that should determine the utilization of new media as an intervention technique.

UNESCO declares that 65,000,000 or 35% of Nigerians are illiterate, especially women and children who are among our target audience.

Without the technical know-how on the operations of the devices for the new media, one wonders how effective the approach can be.