Media critical to health emergency interventions in N/east -WHO

From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri

.The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the media is critical to prevention, control and management of public health emergencies in Nigeria’s northeast.

WHO Emergency Manager in Born, Dr Samuel Yenyi disclosed at the close of three-day workshop for journalists and social media influencers on health emergency reporting in Maiduguri. State capital.

“It is important to reiterate again that media, journalists are critical in getting across appropriate information to mitigate or manage health emergencies,” Yenyi declared.

He urged media practitioners to see public health reporting as first issue of public concern. He said disease outbreak affect all person’s but asked journalists to get invokve to save more life.

“We can all contribute to reduction of mortality from public health emergencies especially with the violence experienced in the northeast,” he stressed.

Executive Director, Primary Healthcare Development Agency (PHCDA), Borno State, Dr Lawi Mshelia urged media practitioners to always understand the stages of responses and bodies responsible for responses during public health emergencies.

Issues of facts, information needed by members of the public during disease outbreak, overview of epidemic diseases such as diphtheria, monkeypox, lassa fever and Cholera, use of data, interview for public health stories among others, formed the focus of paper presentation at the workshop.