***************************************

The first Putonghua Announcement in Public Interest (API) for the Government's AIDS Campaign will be broadcast on local television channels from Monday (March 15).

A spokesman of the Task Force on Media and Publicity for AIDS said that this 30-second API, titled "Be a Responsible Man, Use a Condom", was the Campaign's first ever Putonghua API produced for public broadcast since the Campaign was launched in the eighties.

The API, performed by a popular artiste, Mr Yuen Wah, formed part of the 1998/99 publicity package which reminded men that condoms were effective in preventing AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases.

The spokesman said the Cantonese and English versions of the API had been put on-air since December 1, 1998. The Putonghua version would be broadcast on Chinese television channels from Monday.

"We hope that through the API, members of the public who are Putonghua-speaking will also be aware of using condoms for preventing transmission of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases," he added.

"In addition, they can also make use of the AIDS hotline 2780 2211, which provides enquiries in Putonghua, to obtain information on AIDS," the spokesman said.

End/Saturday, March 13, 1999

NNNN