The MTV Staying Alive Foundation and MTV Base have revealed that they are creating a new season of Shuga. The award-winning sex and relationships drama and multimedia campaign, now in its fourth season, will kick off in Nigeria in early 2015, in partnership with NACA, PEPFAR, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Targeted at Nigerian youth, the multi-layered MTV Shuga campaign will include a six part TV series, a radio drama, an MTV Shuga comic book, and intense digital and social media engagement. A new focus for 2015 will be an increased emphasis on promoting HIV testing, in partnership with the Elton John AIDS Foundation, with the goal of encouraging 25,000 youth to get tested, motivated by a series of special MTV Shuga on Tour festivals held nationwide in March 2015. The campaign will also include a peer-to-peer education drive that uses the MTV Shuga TV programme as a tool for stimulating dialogue about, and changing attitudes to, prevalent public health issues.
Fusing sexual and other public health messaging with world class storytelling and relatable characters, the new series of MTV Shuga will focus on a range of themes relevant to young Nigerians, including adolescent girls, stigma, prevention of mother-to child transmission (PMTCT), HIV testing and 6222 (NACA helpline), gender based violence, first sex, and disclosure of HIV.
Commented Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Africa, “MTV Shuga is a powerful series that addresses issues that are important to everyone. We are very proud to bring another season of this high quality drama to Nigeria, which will not only encompass incredible on-screen storytelling but also engaging event activations designed to heighten its impact”.
Georgia Arnold, Executive Director, MTV Staying Alive Foundation said, “We are excited to build on the global impact of Shuga series 3, which aired to more than 550 million households in Africa, Europe, UK, USA, Asia and the Caribbean via a total of 88 TV broadcasters including 44 African broadcasters. We look forward to extending the incredible reach and resonance with this new series and multimedia campaign, leveraging the power of Shuga to connect with youth audiences on topics vital for their health and well-being.”
The global TVpremiere of MTV Shuga will take place on MTV Base (DStv Channel 322) in June 2015.
To register your views on MTV Shuga please go to www.Shuga.TV, like Shuga on www.facebook.com/MTVShuga; or follow Shuga on Twitter or Instagram @MTVShuga using the hashtag #MTVShuga4.
“The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief or PEPFAR is designed to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS around the world. Since the inception of PEPFAR in 2003, HIV testing has been a key element of its HIV prevention, treatment, and care strategy. As of September 30, 2013, PEPFAR has supported HIV testing and counselling for more than 57.7 million people globally. PEPFAR has supported Shuga since 2008 through its first three seasons and is happy to support Shuga 4’s continued efforts on preventing HIV infections among young people ages 15-24 globally. The United States embraces Shuga’s multimedia campaign to increase knowledge, uptake and disclosure of HIV status and reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with living with HIV/AIDS. The new series will also address the issue of creating an enabling environment for adolescent girls and young women.” - Shirley Dady, PEPFAR Country Coordinator, Nigeria.
“The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) coordinates the multisectoral response to HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. The agency will continue to work with MTV Staying Alive Foundation to mobilise Nigerians (particularly young people) to know their HIV status through Counselling and Testing and promote the uptake of Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission and Treatment services through their Shuga Series and NACA’s 6222 toll-free call centre. The outcomes of these efforts will contribute to the achievement of the President’s Comprehensive Plan for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (PCRP) which seeks to test 80 million Nigerians aged 15 and above, enrol additional 600,000 adults and children on antiretroviral therapy and provide 244,000 women with PMTCT services within the next couple of years.” - Professor John Idoko: Director General, NACA.
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