How a Senegal TV series is fighting coronavirus
Al JazeeraShow dubbed The Virus, aired on social media and on a private channel, focuses on life during the pandemic. Senegal’s latest TV drama star is a fictional doctor who provides coronavirus advice – a far cry from characters in the West African country’s usual fare of infidelity-themed soap operas. “We wanted to make five to eight-minute TV films to show what to do and what not to do to avoid the coronavirus,” said the programme’s director, Mohamed Moustapha Kante. “For example, someone told us he didn’t know that diarrhoea was one of the symptoms.” Increasing infections Senegalese authorities have recorded some 1,200 coronavirus cases to date, with 33 fatalities, a low number compared with Europe and the United States. “We are currently looking at how to work with these production companies to raise awareness.” Senegal’s broadcasting authority has also warned against irresponsible programming, however, and has issued guidance that “television and radio stations avoid anything resembling the stigmatisation of victims”.
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