WHO Boosts Effective Health Communication
As part of efforts to ensure that health messages are effectively communicated, the World Health Organisation (WHO) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMH), has organised a two day media dialogue for health journalists in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Minister of health, Prof Isaac Adewole, in his remark at the event, stressed the need for effective health reportage saying that if people are giving the right information and they live right, disease burden in the country will be reduced drastically.Adewole, who was represented by the Director, Media and Public Relations, FMOH, Boade Akinola, therefore charged journalists to be objective in their reporting, adding that health is a collective responsibility.
He said “as the leader of the health sector, I have a role to play but my role basically is to coordinate everybody including the journalists because you are the ones that will help us to reach the people and tell them the right thing to do. If people have the right information and they live right, disease burden will reduce and people can be free to pursue their daily bread.”
WHO Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr. Wondimagegnehu Alemu, said, in Nigeria, there is a lot that is happening in the health sector, adding that the WHO is also playing critical role in supporting Nigerian government as a way of contributing its own share for the development and improvement of the health sector. He expressed optimism that working with the media will help correct the impression that health is all about diseases.
“When people think about health, it is about the disease, if we work with you, we believe that the message of health wellbeing will be communicated,” he stated.
BY: PATIENCE IVIE IHEJIRIKA
LEADERSHIP NEWS
