Chima Azubuike, Gombe state.
The International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH) recently organised a two day training for select journalists in public health in Gombe state with the theme “Media as strategic partners in the prevention and management of Severe Acute Malnutrition in Nigeria” which geared to better articulate the role the media can play in holding key decision makers accountable in the support of Severe Acute Malnutrition prevention and treatment.
The executive director of ISMPH, Mrs Moji Makanjuola MFR, in her address through the telephone encouraged participants to be investigative in their approach, in the report of Severe Acute Malnutrition. She said “The media and the CSO’s have important roles to play. I hope that after this training we will see new things happen in the way you report. It is not just talking about the number of children that are aftected but let’s be more investigative. This is about children who are going to be leaders of tomorrow. I’m sure the experts will talk to you about the impact of severe Acute Malnutrition in children. As a people and as country we need our budget line for nutrition to be looked into because that is one way we can sustain the availability of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food. Nigeria can not afford to have Severely Malnourished children” she added.
Edosa Oviawe, a development professional, who facilitated the training. Stated the importance of the training as one which is geared towards saving the the lives of children. he said “Who is better prepared to amplify the voices than the media. The children that are dying are waiting for someone to amplify their voices. To help them hold accountable those that are supposed to do something about it. The expectation is that mother’s to some of these children will look back and say if not for the effort of media” he noted.
Solomon Dogo, Senior Programs Manager ISMPH, who emphasised the need for journalists to embrace field work and eradicate imaginative concoctions, maintained “We expect to have a hub of media professionals. Who will specialise in reporting issues relating to Severe Acute Malnutrition. We have identified that SAM is a big issue, especially in northern part of the country, which Gombe state is part of. In the past Some journalists do not investigate their stories, but with the model we adopted for training, it is our expectation that journalists will involve in Development journalism. So that by the time they report about SAM, it would be balanced, with views from Government, beneficiaries and with the view to understand the enormity of the problem. If the RUTF does not come on time it will be a major challenge because children will continue to die. For Instance until recently there was RUTF stock- out for over 4 months in the state . So you can imagine the number of children that have died or are still suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition” he added.
Placidus peters, Care for Life, one of the participant of the training and a member of CSO. He reiterated the emergency of the scourge of Severe Acute Malnutrition in children and the need for it to transcend from a regional challenge to a national issue he said “It is no longer a North East, North West problem, it is s national issue. It is economic, political and social. It is good we have the media here, this provides for us a great opportunity to plan on how to work together towards a drastic reduction of Severe Acute Malnutrition, with emphasis on ignorance and lack” he noted.