The media plays a pivotal role in raising awareness about maternal and child health issues. Through various platforms such as newspapers, radio, television, and online channels, the media can disseminate information on the importance of prenatal care, safe delivery practices, family planning, and nutrition.
By educating the public, especially women in rural and underserved areas, the media helps empower them to make informed decisions about their health and that of their children. It is against this backdrop that twenty journalists in Gombe from Electronic, Print, and online were trained to amplify, advocate, and engage with policymakers on the best means to reduce maternal and infant mortality rate in the state. The training was initiated and supported by Rotary Action for Reproductive, Maternal, and Child Health under the “Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria (THFN)” project.
During the training, the lead Facilitator Malam Ibrahim Isa, a veteran Journalist and the Director General of Gombe Media Corporation, focused on topics such as “Ethics and Sensitivity in RMNCH Reporting,” “Writing Human Angle Stories,” “Investigative Journalism Techniques,” “Writing for Your Audience,” and “Multimedia Storytelling.”
Facilitating the sessions, Malam Ibrahim Isa said journalists and media outlets have the power to influence public opinion and advocate for policy changes that can improve maternal and child health outcomes. He highlighted that they can pinpoint gaps in healthcare services, coverage, and access, thereby putting pressure on authorities to allocate resources effectively and implement evidence-based policies.
“Media platforms can showcase success stories, best practices, and innovations in maternal and child healthcare. By featuring positive examples of healthcare interventions and community initiatives, the media inspires replication and adoption of effective strategies across the state,” Malam Isa added.
He also noted, “In a landscape where misinformation about healthcare, including vaccines and traditional practices, can spread quickly, the media serves as a critical source of accurate information. Journalists can fact-check and debunk myths surrounding maternal and child health, promoting scientifically proven practices and dispelling harmful misconceptions.”
“Through interactive programmes, talk shows, and community dialogues, the media facilitates dialogue between healthcare providers, policymakers, and the public. This engagement fosters community participation in healthcare initiatives, encourages feedback on healthcare services, and ensures accountability in service delivery,” He added.
The lead Facilitator emphasised that media outlets can monitor and report on maternal and child health indicators, such as maternal mortality rates, immunisation coverage, and access to healthcare facilities. By keeping these issues in the public eye, journalists can hold stakeholders accountable for their commitments to improving healthcare outcomes.
Moderating a Panel Discussion with experts in Reproductive Health, a former director of the State National Orientation Agency, Mr Ado Solomon, said the media’s role in reducing infant and maternal mortality in Gombe State is indispensable.
He emphasised that by leveraging its influence, reach, and credibility, the media can significantly contribute to shaping public attitudes, influencing policy decisions, and ultimately improving healthcare access and outcomes for women and children across the state.
Earlier, highlighting the Rotary THFN activities in Gombe State,the Rotary Capacity Building Specialist, Mary Alaje, said Rotary had trained hospital staff and boards on respectful maternal child healthcare, health workers on emergency obstetrics and neonatal care, and equipped health facilities with drugs, contraceptives, and medical equipment for family planning.
Other activities conducted, Alaje added, include community outreach, social behavioural change campaigns, community dialogues, advocacy visits, workshops, monitoring visits, as well as distribution of insecticide-treated nets.
She said the Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria Project is being implemented in Gombe State, Ekiti State, FCT Abuja, and Nasarawa State, explaining that in Gombe it is piloted in Yamaltu Deba and Gombe local government areas,seven health facilities in each of the Local Government Area
In his closing remarks, the Representative of Rotary in Gombe, Mr Mohamed Dantata Ndus, said that with the training, journalists are now partners in progress with Rotary’s “Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria” project.
He explained that the project aims to improve maternal and infant health by providing mothers and newborns with targeted healthcare while also improving systemic access to life-saving services.
Mr Ndus, who is the Permanent Secretary of the Gombe State Ministry for Local Government and Community Development stated that it is an all-inclusive project as the impact extends not just to mothers but also to the community.
He urged the journalists to join the crusade so that together the maternal and neonatal mortality rates will be reduced in Gombe State.
Some of the participants who spoke to Periscope Nigeria described the workshop as timely and insightful
“The workshop has exposed me more to the fact that my role as a journalist has a great impact, and I hope to use my medium to amplify issues that have to do with maternal and child health,” Vasty Bala Jonah of Amana FM Gombe.
“The workshop has exposed me more to the fact that my role as a journalist has a great impact, and I hope to use my medium to amplify issues that have to do with maternal and child health. I learned so much during the workshop, especially how to sensitize the public on the importance of antenatal and other health-related issues. I will improve on the knowledge I had to continue educating the masses through my job. As I learned new techniques that I can compel the public to listen to my program in that regard, and one more thing that I enjoyed is working in a group. I love it,” according to Saaman Abdullahi of Vision FM Gombe.
“I will prioritise Reproductive Maternal Child Health RMCH in my reportage now.” Najib Sani, Leadership Newspaper.
“I learned how to calculate percentage again, the preferred ways of saying numbers/percentages. As an editor, that will also help me a lot in my line of work. Being a Muslim mother of girls, I’ve learned other various ways to communicate with children/siblings on sex-related matter which I will put into use immediately. As a practicing journalist, I will give enough attention to RMCH issues because the training made me realise that those myths, norms, restrictions, and lack of adequate knowledge are high amongst our people,” Fatima Sadiq Jewel FM Gombe.
“I learned the best practices for reporting on Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health.I will use the techniques and strategies learned in my reporting, especially on childbirth spacing, to ensure everyone plays a key role in attaining healthy families in Nigeria,” Yunusa Isa of Jewel Times.
