Afrigather Dar es Salaam – In a ground-breaking transfer to reinforce well being communication and journalism, the World Well being Group (WHO) in Tanzania urged journalists to precisely disseminate well being info to enhance well being reporting within the nation.
This assertion was made on the spherical desk dialogue hosted by WHO in collaboration with the Ministry of Well being with over 40 journalists to delve into particular wants and priorities and contribute to bridging the well being info hole, combat well being misinformation and finally champion the precise to entry appropriate well being info within the nation.
The dialogue is in keeping with the hassle to co-design the first-ever Well being Journalism Fellowship Programme in Tanzania. An initiative aimed toward equipping journalists with the mandatory abilities to successfully talk public well being points, fight misinformation, and promote well-being. It additionally seeks to construct a community of well being knowledgeable journalists and enhance the standard and amount of media protection on key well being matters and points in Tanzania.
Dr. Neema Kileo, Programme Officer at WHO, highlighted the detrimental results of inaccurate reporting, significantly throughout well being crises, and urged journalists to prioritize accuracy of their reporting.
“Journalists and media professionals play an essential function in shaping public perceptions by offering info, perception and balanced info and serving to populations make protected, and knowledgeable decisions to guard their well being – whether or not it’s about an outbreak of an infectious illness or administration of a continual well being situation. Partnering with well being reporters is essential to additional the well being for all agenda”, she added.
The current COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how vital well being journalism is in offering correct and well timed info to the inhabitants and preventing the unfold of mis and disinformation – each associated to the pandemic and throughout quite a few different public well being points.
For Mentioned Makora, Communications Officer on the Ministry of Well being, the significance of acquiring info from trusted sources and fact-checking them earlier than publishing is extraordinarily essential. “With the precise instruments and steerage, journalists have the capability to largely affect residents in addition to exposing them to the precise info expecially throughout outbreaks” he stated.
The one-day discussions supplied a possibility to share expertise and talk about how the programme shall be delivered, precedence coaching content material to be coated and modalities of choosing fellows and mentors.
“This spherical desk dialogue is an inclusive initiative. I have to commend WHO and the Ministry. Normally, programmes are initiated for us with out our enter or course, with this session at this time, we got the chance to make enter into this well being journalism fellowship programme. Because of this dialogue, not solely was my voice heard but in addition, I’ve been reoriented on the vital function we play as journalist in guaranteeing common well being protection is achieved in Tanzania.”, Daniel Semberya from the Guardian newspaper expressed.
The Well being Journalism Fellowship Programme envisions creation of a community of well-trained Well being Journalists and the popularity of excellent well being journalists contributing to selling well being and well-being in Tanzania and past. Supported by specialists from WHO and the Ministry of Well being coupled with journalists’ willingness, the Well being Journalism Programme guarantees to revolutionize well being reporting and foster a tradition of factual well being reporting to assist people make knowledgeable decisions to guard themselves and their family members.
