The darkest hour comes before dawn

A stand at the AIDS 2012 Conference

By Isaiah Esipisu, freelance science journalist.

After years of struggle with the AIDS epidemic, there is much hope and optimism that the disease may soon be a thing of the past. This is the clear message all week during AIDS 2012, and the first time in more than three decades of the disease that there is such a strong sense of optimism fueled by promising research findings and innovative ways of tackling HIV.

However, there are also indications that fatigue exists among development partners – unfortunately, at the wrong hour.

It is a delicate hour. And this is the reason why the media must continue to analyze achievements and point the way forward for everybody to see. The media can play an important role in teaming up with civil society and persuade the donors to hang on a little bit longer.

This is a defining moment for the developing world, and the entire world.

Media Matters Blog - latest posts

As the media and the country await legislation on the right to information, a judge in a recent case has given direction as to who can access any information held by the State. High Court Judge Mumbi Ngugi ruled in a case in which Nairobi Law Monthly Limited, publisher of the Nairobi Law Monthly, had ... Read more

After the hotly contested General Election nothing captured the collective imagination of Kenyans like the presidential election petition. Within hours of the start of the Supreme Court hearings legal jargon like Amicus curiae (friend of the court) and others entered the Kenyan lexicon. But just as fast after the initial ruling, the interest quickly dissipated ... Read more

One of the first lessons I learnt as a young journalist is that readers place a premium on stories that have a direct impact on their lives. I believe health stories are at the top of the ladder in that regard. Health determines the ability of individuals to enjoy life and realise their hopes as ... Read more

The coverage in the Kenyan media of a recent study on fake tuberculosis drugs that was published in The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease was a depressing read. It revealed to me how media outlets rely on cut-and-paste reporting: repeating the same stories from international media outlets and agencies without making an effort ... Read more

Share this page