Thirty working journalists, drawn from all media organisations in Bauchi State, have been selected and trained under the Journalists Forum for Mainstreaming Maternal and Child Health (MCH) to boost data-to-action reporting in the state.
The training was organised by the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) site of the College of Medical Sciences, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, and was held on Monday with the theme: “Promoting Child Health through Media Advocacy”.
Highlighting the importance of the training, Principal Investigator of CHAMPS, Dr Muhammad Bashir Faruk, said that the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2023/2024 indicated that Bauchi State has a high rate of neonatal, infant, and child mortality.
According to him, “For every 1,000 live births, 48 die within the first 28 days of life, while 77 die before their first birthday, with 125 children dying before they reach five years. This shows that Bauchi State records more deaths than the national rate.”
He further noted, “CHAMPS is out to investigate these deaths, and journalists are expected to write stories that give policymakers accurate information to take actions that will prevent these mortalities.”
Muhammad Bashir Faruk opined that, considering the power of the media in shaping society, maternal health and mortality can be effectively tackled with sustained and accurate reporting, backed by data.
He disclosed that the objective is to equip journalists with accurate information on maternal and child health (MCH) issues and CHAMPS programmes, enhance media capacity for evidence-based reporting on maternal and child health, foster collaboration between media, health professionals, and policymakers, and advocate for policy changes and increased public awareness of MCH.
He then urged the participants to produce evidence-based stories that would enable the formulation of policies based on sound research.
Co-Principal Investigator of CHAMPS, Dr Lamaran Dattijo, said that CHAMPS is a global health surveillance network aimed at preventing childhood mortality in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
He reiterated that the programme, funded by the Emory Global Health Institute, is being implemented in two universities in Nigeria—ATBU, Bauchi, and the University of Calabar in Cross River State.
Lamaran Dattijo disclosed that CHAMPS ATBU is being implemented in Bauchi and Ganjuwa Local Government Areas in selected health facilities, assuring that more facilities will be included.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Chairman of the Bauchi State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Umar Sa’idu, commended the management of CHAMPS for recognising the importance of including journalists in the implementation of the project.
He stressed that journalists are an essential part of the success of any people-focused project or programme, considering the fact that citizens rely heavily on the media for information and guidance.
Umar Sa’idu assured CHAMPS that, after the training, journalists beyond those who participated would key into the project and propagate its activities, as well as engage in advocacy for its success.
Some of the participants who spoke variously commended CHAMPS for organising the training, which had exposed them to the activities of the organisation.
They variously assured their full engagement in the implementation of the project, particularly in advocacy and sensitisation of communities on the importance of the project for good family health.
At the end of the training, certificates of participation were presented to the participants after the development of a work plan for the programme.
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