Trado-Modern Communication: Catalyst for Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS Among Andoni Women

This work relied on empirical submissions by scholars and made a case for the fusion of modern and traditional modes of communication in the fight against HIV/AIDS that has continued to plague people living in Nigeria, especially those in its rural areas. So, the work discusses the synthesis of traditional and modern methods of communication as catalyst for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS among Andoni women, due to their precarious situations being residents of rural areas amid illiteracy, cultural values and beliefs. The work adopted Diffusion of Innovation Theory as anchor for the discourse. After exploring the various submissions concerning the merits emanating from the fusion of the two media systems, putting them side-byside with the peculiar nature of rural people in Nigeria, using Andoni as a case study, it concludes that tradomodern communication is a better communication strategy that should be adopted in the fight against the disease, based on empirical facts concerning their strength in awareness creation, advocacy and spread of innovation in the society.


Theory
Diffusion of Innovation Theory is adopted for this work. Rogers originally wrote about this theory in the book, Diffusion of Innovation, published in 1962. Together with Shoemaker, the theory was further presented as the Communication of New Ideas in 1971, Ojobor (2016. Also writing on how Diffusion of Innovation Theory came about, Baran and Davies (2007) narrate that: In 1962, Everett Rogers combined the information-flow research finding with studies about the flow of information and personal influence in several fields, including anthropology, sociology, and agricultural extension work. He developed what he called diffusion theory, which can be seen as an extension of Lazarsfeld original idea of the two-step flow. Roger's effort at integrating information-flow research with diffusion theory was so successful that information-flow theory became information diffusion theory and when it is applied to the diffusion of something other than information that is technology, it is called innovation diffusion theory (p.173). According to Rogers and Shoemaker (1971) diffusion is the process by which innovations spread to the members of a social system (p.12). Innovation, therefore, passes through stages before it is being adopted as explained by Baran and Davies: Rogers assembled data from numerous empirical studies to show that when new technological innovations are introduced, they will pass through a series of stages before being widely adopted. First, most people will become aware of them, often through information from mass media. Second, the innovations will be adopted by a very small group of innovators, or early adopters. Third, opinion leaders learn from early adopters and try the innovation themselves. Fourth, if opinion leaders find the innovation useful, they encourage their friends-the opinion followers. Finally, after most people have adopted the innovation, a group of laggards or late adopters make the change... (p.173) According to Asadu (2012) diffusion of innovation theory came about following the modification of the modernization paradigm. He asserts that: Rogers, a social scientist, by way of modifying modernization paradigm reasoned that for people to change from traditional to modern society they need to adopt new ideas, technologies, innovators and practices even without getting directly exposed to the media. This he called diffusion of innovation. Asadu continues by saying that the mass media will create the awareness of ideas and interpersonal communication will be used to persuade the people to adopt the innovation. He defines diffusion of innovation as the communication of innovation through certain channels overtime among members of a social system with certain effects (p.38) Innovation, being a noble idea, lofty conception and action, is also a development initiative intended to impact positively on the people. To impact on the lives of the people, therefore, it must be diffused, synthesized and adopted. This is tied to communication. So, diffusion is a communication function of spreading development idea. The development idea will bring about social change and people gaining control over their environment.
Wogu (2008) makes a revealing assertion about Diffusion of Innovation Theory. He says that diffusion theory is a source-dominated theory that sees the communication process from the point of view of elite that has decide to diffuse an innovation. This theory improves upon information flow theory by providing more and better strategies for overcoming barriers to innovations. Diffusion theory assigns a very limited role to mass media: media mainly create awareness of innovation. Only the early adopters are directly influenced by media content. Others adopt innovations only after being influenced by other people. Rogers recommended that agents lead diffusion efforts, people who could go out in rural communities and directly influence early adopters and opinion leaders (p. 165).
In diffusion of innovation, interests in diverse form also contribute to its effectiveness. The other source of influence is more diffusing but often effective. It stems from the many interests, especially economic but also cultural and social, that are effected by the mass media, particularly in respect of news and information. Powerful individuals and organisations can be hurt by the news and may also need it to further their ends. For this reason, they keep a close eye on media conduct for their own protection or seek to influence it. All in all, this adds up to an environment of expectation and scrutiny that has considerable cumulative influence (McQuail 2005 p. 163). MaQuail continues by contending that although media are freely chosen by their audiences, actual people in audiences may not have personally chosen their media or the specific content to which they find themselves exposed (p. 443). Audiences are connected to 'Distant' media sources in several ways, perhaps especially through the mediation of their family, friends and others in their social milieu (p. 445).
The above assertion shows that diffusion of innovation theory recognizes differences in individuals, perceptions and interests. Therefore, acceptance of an idea, programme and initiative may pass through stages and time based on human behaviour and exposure, family background, social, political, economic and religious system to which an individual belongs.
The theory describes how new ideas, information and culture are passed from people to people or from one geographical area to another. It involves a system of explanation on how freely, slowly or rapidly people in a society accept new ideas, depending on time, nature of media of communication and demographic variables of the target audience. This theory explains the development of nations and the spread of different cultures, Nwanne, in Mboho and Batta (2012).
A critical perusal of this theory amidst the reality of Mother-To-Child Transmission of AIDS reveals the interconnectedness between the theory and the study. Mother-To-Child Transmission of AIDS is not an abstract thing. It involves physiological process which requires people's awareness and consciousness for its prevention and elimination. In fact, its success depends largely on the people's understanding and acceptance of methods and measures that have been put in place to prevent the spread of the virus. People differ in attitude and perception, and are constantly staying glued to their values, customs and other cultural underpinnings, for a change in attitude or for upholding of behaviour. This explains why the researcher adopted the theory for this study.

communication, in the campaign for the prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS among women in the area.
Combining technologically mediated communication with the largely interpersonal indigenous communication for greater effectiveness of communication in support of development is the centerpiece of the indigenization framework by which technological media will be selected for application based on their capacity to fit into the indigenous patterns, Ansu-Kyeremeh, in (Nsereka, 2013, p.29). Nsereka adds that a combined use of the interpersonal communication and the modern media leads to interesting socio-cultural results, as using one medium to complement, supplement or reinforce another is necessary for effective integrated rural development.
The above scholars have stressed the role of integrated communication strategy in achieving effective communication and by extension addressing the challenges confronting people in the rural areas amidst HIV/AIDS peril. Their positions do not attempt to diminish the effects of the modern media; rather they have advanced a communication pattern that is appropriate for some people under some kinds of conditions and in some places. This is why Ukonu and Wogu (2008) argue that modern media are fast, versatile, but impersonal, unidirectional, elitist and alienating. Traditional media are credible, integrative, but slow. There ought, therefore, to be a systematic approach to integrating traditional and modern systems…in a complementary fashion (p.49). Generally, the mix media approach remains indispensable for effective media campaign…The mass media especially the radio have always played an important role in promoting modernization and development to people as well as articulating the views of the common man. But the benefits of the mass media do not undermine strength of the traditional media for the same purposes, (p.24).
As equally noted by Jibril, Suleiman, Abdullahi and Mohammed (2018): Internet mediated HIV/AIDS messages do not help in advocacy against the spread of HIV/AIDS. Many of the respondents argue that the messages do not help in advocacy (74.9%). Based on this, we conclude that the mere presentation of HIV/AIDS advocacy campaign messages through the internet or ICT would not be enough to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS…It is therefore recommended that other familiar interpersonal communication strategies should be applied to further convince people to adopt the desired attitudinal change necessary for preventing the spread of the disease (p.514 The above empirical submission has further buttressed the need for integration of modern and traditional modes of communication as mechanism for prevention of mother-to-child-transmission of HIV/AIDS among Andoni women of Rivers State. The rural dwellers need information about health care, weather, family planning, agriculture…When the rural dwellers do not get the necessary information, in a well-coordinated fashion, they lose confidence in the government and the society at large ( (Asemah and Anum, 2013, p.24). To avoid this, Udoudo believes that a combination of traditional modes of communication amidst the technological-driven world-whether radio, television, newspaper or the new media, if carefully organized and blended, can lead to interesting cultural experience and results, especially where peculiarity of its environment is respected (2017).

Conclusion
Till date, HIV/AIDS remains life-threatening disease the world over. Nigeria as a country in particular, has continued to make efforts in curtailing and eradicating the endemic disease. Consequently, several measures and programmes have been launched in order to achieve the goal. However, most of the measures and programmes are urban-centered. So, only the educated urban-based people are mostly targeted, while the largely illiterate, poor and vulnerable people in the rural areas are wallowing in ignorance concerning modes of transmission and threat of the disease. When the rural dwellers are remembered, individuals and agencies carrying campaign against the disease disseminate messages meant for them through the mass media. As a result of this, the target audiences are missed and the problem continues.
Considering the challenges posed by the disease and the roles of communication in preventing spread of the ailment, a better communication strategy is, therefore, imperative. Trado-modern communication, based on empirical facts about the merits of their fusion in awareness creation, advocacy and spread of innovation in the society, should therefore, be considered as catalyst for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS among Andoni women.