The awards honoured radio professionals for innovative and thought-provoking programming across two themes – Routine Immunisation and End Violence Against Children
The third edition of the UNICEF-AROI Radio4Child Awards culminated in Mumbai with winners selected from 152 entries. The awards, this year, honoured RJs for their innovative and thought-provoking programming across two themes – Routine Immunisation (Measles Rubella campaign) and End Violence Against Children (Child Sexual Abuse).
The awards are a culmination of capacity-building workshops, conducted in 2018, by UNICEF and AROI for over 40 All India Radio and private FM radio professionals to help them integrate meaningful, appealing radio jingles or talk shows on the critical messages related to vaccination and other child issues.
Attending the event Kareena Kapoor Khan, UNICEF Celebrity Advocate said, “I am delighted to be associated with the #EveryChildAlive campaign initiated by UNICEF as it is using different and innovative mediums to communicate the importance of immunising every child from life-threatening diseases. Having had personal experience with the medium of radio, I think it is an excellent channel to educate young families, the youth and marginalised communities on the importance of vaccination. Also as a mother, I understand the importance of immunisation in giving every child a healthy start and I look forward to supporting UNICEF in spreading this important message.”
Dr Pradeep Haldar, Deputy Commissioner, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare urged the radio fraternity to spread the message of the importance of immunisation and help in mitigating any misinformation regarding vaccines.
Chief of Health UNICEF India, Dr Gagan Gupta, said, “UNICEF remains committed to work with the government, media, communities and partners to reach out to more children with more vaccines and more services. Moving beyond survival to early childhood development and ensuring that the girl child is not left behind should be the next frontier for India.”
The winners were picked by a select jury which included personalities from academia, the radio industry and the corporate sector.
Being one of the large demonstrable example of public-private media and civil society partnership, UNICEF looks at Radio4Child as a platform to raise child issues. Rajeshwari Chandrasekar, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Maharashtra, stressed on the need to spread the message of timely immunisation. “Vaccination acts as a protective shield, keeping families and communities safe. By vaccinating our children, we are also protecting the most vulnerable members of our community,” she said.
The jury also gave away Special Mention Awards to laud efforts of radio entries which had been sent from remote parts of the country including community radio. “It is really heartening to see the creativity from across the country coming on to a single platform for a cause, said Uday Chawla, Secretary, AROI.
Rema Mohan, CEO, NSE Foundation, jury member congratulated the young radio professionals across the country for their commendable contribution to the immunisation programme as well as other relevant child centric social messaging. Corporate Social Responsibility programmes should advocate positive behaviour change by taking up the role of influencers within communities especially remote rural communities to spread the message on the importance of immunization, ending child abuse, and education of the girl child,” she said.
Dr K C Sinha, Assistant Director, Health and Family Welfare programmes at Directorate General, All India Radio, New Delhi recounted the stellar role AIR has played since independence in furthering the cause of universal health and expressed continued commitment to the same.