Paginas da Vida (Pages of Life)

According to PMC, telenovelas (television dramas) encouraging social and health changes work particularly well in Brazil, where 88% of households own a colour television set. During the year, a team of two Comunicarte/PMC staff members meets frequently with the writers of the three prime-time melodramas during the two-month planning period prior to the launch of each telenovela. They review plans for the evolution of various characters with the writers and make suggestions regarding health and social themes that can be woven into their lives. The Comunicarte/PMC team prepares a "writer's book," which is a referenced manual containing a series of briefings on the various social and health issues that might be appropriate for that programme, including referrals to experts and institutions, articles on entertainment-education (E-E), and a retrospective of the author's previous television writing, with an emphasis on the social issues addressed in his or her work. The writer's book also includes a calendar that provides the writer with information in advance of dates or events that might serve as "hooks" for E-E scenes (such as World AIDS Day and World Population Day).

This process informed the development of the Paginas da Vida episodes. This description from one episode gives a sense of the plot and themes: Nanda, a Brazilian student of Art History in Amsterdam, falls in love with another student called Leo, and becomes pregnant. Abandoned by Leo, the teenaged Nanda returns to Brazil, only to face a series of tragic events. Hit by a car, Nanda is taken to the hospital where the obstetrician is able to save her twins but cannot save her life. One of the newborn girls, Clara, is identified with Down syndrome, a genetic disorder (occurring in about 1 per 800 births) that often results in reduced cognitive ability and poor muscle tone. Nanda's mother rejects her granddaughter, having no idea that early childhood interventions, pre-screenings, medical treatment, a nurturing family environment, and vocational training can significantly improve the quality of life of those with Down syndrome. Longing to be a mother, Helena adopts the unwanted Clara, raising her with love and care. Clara studies in a suburban school as per the wishes of Helena, who very openly favors the social inclusion of those with disabilities. As the story line evolves, Clara and Helena encounter several people who stigmatise disabilities, raising an ongoing debate about the issue of disability throughout the course of the show.

Reproductive Health, Disabilities.

PMC reports that Brazil is Latin America's most populous country, with a population of 186.8 million. Although its fertility rate has declined significantly in the last 15 years, large families persist in a number of rural and impoverished regions of the country. Additionally, teenage parenthood remains a critical issue. Brazil also has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in South America.

Founded in 1998, PMC uses a specific methodology for behaviour change communication (BCC) developed by Miguel Sabido of Mexico to address population and reproductive health issues. In each country where it has projects, PMC works to build a collaborative process with broadcasters, government ministries, United Nations (UN) agencies, and NGOs to design and implement a media strategy for addressing reproductive health issues.