ABSTRACT
This chapter presents results from a study that investigated the effectiveness of indigenous media in mitigating the effects of COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS. The study used folk music and folk tales in investigating how effective they have been in raising awareness on and mitigating the effects of the two diseases. The study used interviews as well as focus group discussions (Alassutari, 1995). We interviewed 120 people from Mzimba, Kasungu, and Nkhatabay, and the respondents were chosen using a simple sampling method. The study established that the two-step model of communication, as well as the indigenous theory, are used by respondents in disseminating messages on the two epidemics in indigenous languages. The study urges that unless the country takes a keen interest in using indigenous media, the fight against these two diseases could be compromised, in the process retarding development as many people die. The findings could be used in sub-Saharan Africa and the world to integrate indigenous languages in the dissemination of relevant information on the challenges of the two epidemics.
