WHO Holds Training For Journalists, Influencers in Borno
By Abdulkareem Haruna
Maiduguri, Borno State – The World Health Organization (WHO) has organized a three-day workshop for journalists and social media influencers, in Borno state, aimed at improving their skills in reporting health behavior outcomes.
The workshop is also geared towards increasing the preponderance of lifesaving information on mass media and social platforms to enable at-risk populations to make informed decisions to protect themselves from infectious diseases.
The workshop which is currently going on in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, had about 50 participants drawn from various media organizations and social media platforms. The participants will be equipped with the necessary skills to go beyond mere informative reporting and focus on health behavior outcome reporting.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the workshop, Dr. Lawi Mshelia, the Executive Director State Primary HealthCare Development Agency (SPHCDA), emphasized the importance of accurate and timely information in the fight against infectious diseases.
Dr Mshelia who was represented by a top Official of SPHCDA, Hajia Fati, stated that the media plays a crucial role in disseminating information to the general public, and as such, it is crucial for journalists and social media influencers to be equipped with the necessary skills to report health behavior outcomes.
The WHO acting Emergency Manager, Dr. Samuel Yenyi, in his opening remarks, highlighted the need for the increased preponderance of lifesaving information on mass media and social media platforms to enable at-risk populations to make informed decisions to protect themselves from infectious diseases.
The workshop will include key presentations on epidemic prone diseases, an overview of WHO mandates in health emergencies; Risk Communication aimed at equipping participants with the skills to report health behavior outcomes accurately and effectively.
The chairman of Borno state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Dauda Iliya, said he expects that the workshop will contribute significantly to the fight against infectious diseases in Borno State and Nigeria at large.
