A new South African animated series will use offbeat comedy to encourage viewers to analyse their behaviour and take steps in reducing their risk of HIV infection.
Scrutinize is a series of short animated commercials known as animerts that will centre on the everyday realities placing young South Africans at risk of infection.

Scrutinize spreads the wordThe lead character, created and played by comedian Joey Rasdien, is a taxi driver on a mission to Flip HIV to H- I-Victory. Rasdien is joined in the series by other local actors including Sophie Ndaba of Generations, Welile Tembe from FONT and Darren Maule from Hard Copy.

The series is the result of a public private partnership between USAID, John Hopkins Health Education South Africa (JHHESA), Levi Strauss and series creators Matchboxology, aimed at creating an effective public health messaging tool targeting 18 - 32 year olds.

Matchboxology CEO Cal Bruns says, "For over ten years, folks have been hearing the facts about HIV and yet we're not making enough headway in preventing the spread of the virus."

Scrutinize has been developed to stand out from current HIV messaging and tackle the epidemic from a whole new angle, he explains.

Patrick Coleman of JHHESA has worked in public health communication for more than 30 years and believes that it is the reality of this series that will make it compelling: "Scrutinize uses South African slang and symbols with the kind of humour that makes shows like The Simpsons so popular around the world."

"People laugh because they can see themselves, but you can see in their eyes they are getting the message".

According to the Human Sciences Resource Council (HSRC) 5.5 million South Africans live with HIV. A survey conducted by the HSRC in 2005 revealed that men are more likely to get infected between the ages of 25 - 49, while women between the ages of 15 - 24 are four times more likely to be living with HIV than men their age.

The first round of eight Scrutinize animerts will appear over the course of this year on national television and in public health clinics.

source: www.sagoodnews.co.za