WHO Trains  Journalists on Health Emergencies, COVID-19 Reporting.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) embarked on the two days capacity building of Northeast Journalists on health reporting during emergencies and the AstraZeneca vaccine for the benefit of the people of the region.

The participants were drawn from the electronic and print media respectively.

The objectives of the meeting was to orient the Journalists on Covid-19 and also on the AstraZeneca vaccine introduction in order to enhance the acceptance to forestall the negative stories with the idea to see how the journalists will be able to understand health perspectives with the aim of properly informing the public on the preventive measures such as social distancing, wearing of face masks, use of alcohol based hand sanitizers and frequent wash of hands with soap under running water.

Dr. Marcel Mbamalu, communication expert,  tutored the participants on reporting to impact behaviors: experience sharing, reporting Covid-19 to impact behaviors: newspaper,TV and Radio experience, Covid-19 for behavioral change, why do Journalists report, tips for journalists who want to cultivate news sources and reporting for the editor,while another resource person, Dr Onjefu Okidu, Development Communication Consultant, spoke on redefining the roles of mass media during COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Abdullahi Saleh Bashir of Modibbo Adama University, Yola lectured on strategies for reporting vaccine hesitancy and rejection: a guide for Journalists working in emergency states of Northeast Nigeria.