In August 2005, the BBC World Service Trust, with funding from the British Government’s Department for International Development, began broadcasting "Mo Kamba (My Mate)", a radio call-in and discussion programme dealing with a wide range of issues around HIV and AIDS. The programme is designed for 15-24 year olds, with a stated aim of raising knowledge of transmission routes, methods of risk reduction, and encouraging greater discussion about sexual health across Angola. Two different editions of Mo Kamba, each lasting 45 minutes, are broadcast live in prime time slots each week. The show features discussion, music, guest appearances, and live calls from listeners. In addition to Mo Kamba, the BBC World Service Trust has, since the August 5 2005, produced 160 radio public service announcements (PSAs), containing messages around HIV and AIDS. These have been broadcast in five waves (four messaging variations in each wave), and in eight languages: Portuguese, Fiote, Kikongo, Tchokwé, Kimbundu, Umbundu, Kwanhama and Nyaneca-Humbe. The PSAs were created to address specific audiences, and messages make use of drama, personal testimony, humour and music.

Between the March 27 and May 5, 2006, some eight months after Mo Kamba was first broadcast, the BBC World Service Trust carried out a survey of 15-24 year olds in four provinces across Angola (Luanda, Benguela, Cunene and Lunda Norte). The purpose of the survey was to establish: the awareness, reach and appeal of Mo Kamba, and a selection of the PSAs; and levels of knowledge, attitudes held, and self-reported behaviour relating to issues directly relevant to risk reduction around HIV. This report outlines the key findings from the survey, and highlights the main learning points for the BBC World Service Trust projects designed for young people in Angola.

The survey was designed to deliver a sample of young radio listeners, between ages 15 and 24, across four provinces in Angola. The four provinces were selected as they represented a split between key urban centres (Luanda, Benguela), and rural areas with relatively high prevalence rates of HIV and AIDS (Cunene and Lunda Norte). The sample was designed to deliver 500 young people from each region. A multi-stage random sample was used, with specific sites selected within each region, roughly approximate to the estimated urban/ peri-urban/rural composition of sample areas. Once locations were identified, households were randomly selected, with one person meeting the sample criteria being selected from each household.

According to the survey, over two-thirds of young radio listeners (68%) reported that they listen to the radio at least once a week. There is relatively high awareness of Mo Kamba among young people in Angola. Almost 36% of respondents who had listened to the radio in the last six months before the survey reported that they are aware of Mo Kamba. Of these, 75% (27% of the total sample) reported listening to Mo Kamba, with 64% of these reporting that they are regular listeners. This indicates that the programme has high appeal among young people. There are, however, substantial variations in reach and listenership across the four regions surveyed. Listenership is very high in the predominantly rural regions of Lunda Norte and Cunene, with 37% and 56% of respondents respectively reporting that they had ever listened to Mo Kamba. This compares with only 14% in Luanda, and 13% in Benguela. Frequency of listening also varies across each region, with 76% of listeners in Cunene, and 67% of listeners in Lunda Norte reporting that they are regular listeners, compared with 57% in Luanda, and only 38% in Benguela. The proportion of respondents who were both listeners to Mo Kamba, and who had heard at least one of the radio PSAs broadcast as part of wave three, was highest in Cunene, with 93% of Mo Kamba listeners reporting that they had also heard at least one of the PSAs. The proportion was lowest in Benguela, where only 46% of Mo Kamba listeners had also heard one of the PSAs.

Analysis was carried out to explore levels of knowledge of transmission routes, and risk reduction for HIV and AIDS. When asked to name ways in which risks of HIV and AIDS could be reduced, 96% of listeners, compared to 89% of non-listeners identified condom use as a prevention method, 30% of listeners, compared to 23% of non-listeners mentioned reducing number of sexual partners, and 47% of listeners compared to 27% of non-listeners mentioned fidelity to one partner.

Analysis was carried out to explore the relationship between listening to Mo Kamba and attitudes towards condom use, and towards being tested for HIV and AIDS. On a range of indicators relating to motivations to use condoms, a greater proportion of listeners than non-listeners showed positive attitudes.

91% of listeners to Mo Kamba, compared with 80% of non-listeners disagreed with the statement that condoms are used by immoral people. 90% of listeners, compared with 81% of non-listeners, disagreed with the statement that buying condoms is shameful. Mo Kamba listeners are more likely than non-listeners to: cite condom use as a means of reducing risk of contracting HIV and AIDS; report condom use as being a sign of respect for a partner; and report that condoms are used by responsible people. Sixty-seven percent of Mo Kamba listeners, compared with 60% of non-listeners, reported that they were willing to take an HIV and AIDS test (if they had not done so already).

Although the analysis established strong associations between listening to Mo Kamba and positive attitudes towards condom use and testing for HIV and AIDS, according to the report, this, in itself, is not indicative of differences in behaviour. Further analysis was carried out to explore whether there was an association between listening to Mo Kamba, purchasing of condoms, and condom use. Across a range of indicators, listeners to Mo Kamba are more likely than non-listeners to display positive behaviour around condom use. Listeners to Mo Kamba are more likely to: have ever bought a condom; own a condom now; have ever used a condom; and to have used a condom the last time that they had sex. Analysis was also carried out to look at the extent to which respondents had used condoms in the three months prior to being surveyed. Listeners are not only more likely than non-listeners to have used a condom the last time they had sex, but, on average, they use condoms more frequently. 66% of sexually active listeners to Mo Kamba, and 43% of sexually active non-listeners, reported having used a condom when having sex in the previous three months. Respondents who were sexually active and did not listen to Mo Kamba reported using a condom an average of 2.5 times in the previous three months. Those who listened to Mo Kamba used a condom on average 3.5 times in the three months prior to survey. The gap between female listeners and non-listeners is larger than the gap between male listeners and non-listeners. 46 % of women listeners compared to 28 % of non-listeners owned a condom. 71% of female listeners compared to 65 % of female non-listeners used a condom the last time they had sex.