The role of billboards and posters in creating HIV/AIDS awareness in Makete district

The purpose of this study was to investing the role of billboards and posters in creating awareness on HTV/AIDS among the populace in Makete district, Njombe region, Tanzania. It was conducted in a site with high HTV/AIDS prevalence rate, involving 60(100%) respondents who were selected from 7 different occupational groups. Its purposive sample consisted of 30(50%) female and 30(50%) male respondents among whom 27(45%) were youths of 14 to 25 years of age and 33(55%) were adults above 26 years of age. The inquiry was intended to examine if billboards and posters had the capacity to create HTV/AIDS awareness among the people of Makete district. The findings of the study showed that, out of 60(100%) respondents in the study, 34(56%) respondents confirmed that the two media were reliable and convenient channels in creating HTV/AIDS awareness in the area. These results indicated that, despite billboards and posters being least considered and never accounted before, they are still very relevant and significant media in the fight against HTV/AIDS in Tanzania. However, the findings also revealed that there was a small percentage of those who viewed billboards and posters as unreliable, irrelevant and incomprehensible channels in creating HIV/AIDS awareness in Makete district. This was clear when 24(40%) respondents in the study chose radio as a suitable medium in creating HIV/AIDS awareness in the area. Ultimately, the study recommended for effective use of the aforementioned visual media as well as a multimedia approach as a best solution in media use to create HIV/AIDS awareness in Makete district and Tanzania at large.