Yomi Durojaye
Nigeria Health Watch Partners APCOM to Train Journalists In Tackling Misinformation, Myths Causing Maternal & Child Mortality In Nigeria
A Not-for-profit organization, Nigeria Health Watch has partnered with Association of Practitioners of Community Media in Nigeria, APCOM to Train Journalists, Health-Workers, Social Workers and Directors in Health sector In Tackling Misinformation, Myths, Causing Maternal & Child Mortality In Lagos and Nigeria at Large.
The event was organized recently at Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Conference and Exhibition Center, (LCCI) by Nigeria Health Watch, (NHW) a not-for-profit health communications and advocacy organisation.
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| Nigeria Health Watch Facilitators |
NHW aimed at working to improve health outcomes in Nigeria through evidence-based advocacy, policy engagement, and community-driven initiatives.
According to the Deputy Director, Nigeria Health Watch, Safiya Shuaibu Isa, "In line with our Global Policy and Advocacy (GPA) Project, we are strengthening heath system accountability and community engagement in key states, including Lagos.
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| Cross section of Participants and Facilitators from Nigeria Health Watch |
"Our objective is to Strengthen the capacity of community media practitioners to report on primary health care issues, Improve their understanding of accountability frameworks within the heath sector, to explore avenues for ongoing collaboration in public health communication and advocacy and equip members with tools to counter health misinformation, and maternal & Child Mortality.
Addressing the challenges and proffering solutions, Mrs. Safiya highlighted some of the challenges that led to maternal and Child Mortality in recent times which include, refusal of vaccinations by various communities, lack of essential healthcare facilities in some PHC, patronising traditional childbirth Centre amongst others.
Mrs. Shuaibu while Highlighting the Solutions, said that community need a periodic Health Education, that will provide families and communities with accurate information about pregnancy, childbirth, newborn care, and child healthcare.
"Community Engagement: Engaging community leaders and trusted figures to promote accurate information and address misconceptions can be effective.
Strengthening Healthcare Systems: Ensuring access to quality healthcare services, including skilled birth attendants, essential medicines, and vaccinations, is vital.
Also speaking at the event, Zubaida Ibrahim, Precious Ajayi and Sheriff Gbadamosi amongst Nigeria Health Watch representatives, in a separate presentation they advised Journalists under the umbrella of APCOM, Association of Practitioners of Community Media in Nigeria, on Solutions Journalism as a new trend of news reportage.
Zubaida said "Solutions journalism is kind of reporting approach that focuses on the responses to community and social problems, she stated that rather than solely highlighting the problems themselves. It aims to provide in-depth knowledge about how people are tackling issue, this approach seeks to equip readers with information to understand and potentially participate in solutions.
"It helps focus on responses by investigating and explain how people are trying to solve problems, whether those efforts have been successful, partially successful, or have failed with an evidence-based data, and qualitative results to assess the effectiveness of the responses being explored.
She also discussed on Insights, limitations and strength of any possible solutions of a particular issues.
Speaking in appreciation on behalf of APCOM, the President, Mr. Yomi Adejumo thanked and appreciate Nigeria Health Watch for their concern in reducing maternal, Child Mortality in the Country.
Applauding their initiative, Adejumo said NHW with collaboration of other health agencies in Lagos and Nigeria has helped in the business of advocacy and campaign against misinformation and other myths that has endangered mother, child healthcare in the country.
Adejumo assured the NHW of the Association 's unalloyed support in propagating and engaging various communities with their grassroots dissemination of information of health related issues across the state through the network of Association spread across the states.
