Senior journalists – Moji Makanjuola, Malam Danjuma Abdullahi and Janet Mba-Afolabi – have tasked journalists in Nigeria on improved reportage of health issues.
The Nigerian renowned journalists spoke at a training organized for journalists by USAID-HFG project in collaboration with Legislative Network for Universal Health Coverage and International Society of Media in Public Health in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
Makanjuola, who is also the Executive Director of ISMPH, charged journalists to equip themselves with current and latest information that would stand them out in their carrier.
In her presentations, Mba-Afolabi, the Publisher of Scroll Magazine, urged journalists to imbibe developmental journalism and bring out issues on health.
She charged participants to do quality investigative stories on health financing in Nigeria.
Also, Abdullahi, a veteran journalist who retired from the Nigeria Television Authority, tasked journalists on objective reportage of health issues.
The Chief of Party, HFG Project, Dr. Gafar Alawode, appealed to journalists in the country to pay more attention to health financing and ensure adequate and accurate reportage of health issues.
Alawode said the training was organised to improve the knowledge and awareness of media practitioners on basics of health financing and components of Universal Health Coverage.
He added that the training was also organised to furnish the journalists with relevant information and motivate them to seek more update and current information about health issues in Nigeria and around the world.
Alawode charged journalists to step up the reportage of health policy issues.
He urged them to report people’s health need and what the policy makers should do for the people to live healthy life.
USAID-HFG project Knowledge Management and Communication Specialist, Sonto Mbelo, urged journalists to give adequate visibility to issues around health financing and Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria.
The Senior Health Finance Advisor, USAID-HFG project, Dr. Sylvester Akande, said health insurance remains a viable vehicle for achieving Universal Health Coverage.
Akande observed that majority of people could not access medical treatment because of their inability to pay hospital bills.
He explained that with heath insurance, people will be able to seek and get healthcare without facing catastrophic health expenditure.
He also noted that majority of people, particularly the informal sector, are not enjoying health insurance at the moment and that without covering the informal sector, UHC might not be achieved.
He charged the media practitioners in Nigeria to improve on reportage of health issues, particularly the aspect of health financing and Universal Health Coverage.