The World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with the Authorities of Japan supported the Ministry of Health and Social Services and products (MoHSS) to conduct a three-day workshop in Swakopmund. Held from 09 – 11 September 2024, the workshop aimed to sensitize and orient the media on moral reporting on health-connected matters including promoting nutrition, emergency response reporting, addressing gender-basically based completely completely violence (GBV) and Universal Health Protection (UHC). A total of 15 journalists and media practitioners participated and were involved to present a elevate to their understanding of health reporting. The initiative is phase of MoHSS’s ongoing dedication to enhanced public health consciousness and promoting informed health journalism.
As Namibia advances in the vogue of its UHC policy, it acknowledges the importance of equipping journalists with the information and abilities to file on UHC successfully. Providing this orientation is wanted, because the media performs a necessary role in shaping public understanding of health policies and services and products. By properly reporting on UHC, journalists can elevate consciousness about its dreams, equivalent to ensuring that each one citizens maintain safe admission to to quality healthcare with out financial hardship.
In her opening remarks, Ms. Veronika Haimbili, a Public Relations Officer at MoHSS, underlined the importance of media engagement in health discussions. She encouraged individuals to actively have interaction in conversations at some stage in the workshop, emphasizing that such interactions are necessary for enhancing media protection and just reporting in the health sector. Ms. Haimbili highlighted that informed journalism not only educates the public but additionally holds health authorities in designate, finally contributing to greater health outcomes for all.
Journalists were encouraged to operate memoir strategies that align with upcoming health initiatives, thereby fostering a proactive system to health reporting. The discussions additionally addressed the known challenges faced by journalists in covering health matters, including complications with sensitivity and the want for just records representation. To toughen ongoing collaboration, a media calendar will be developed by MoHSS and WHO. The calendar will facilitate properly timed media protection of main health initiatives and occasions, ensuring that relevant information reaches the public successfully.
For the duration of the workshop, individuals engaged in presentations and interactive discussions aimed at providing them with necessary abilities in moral reporting practices, records interpretation, and combating misinformation. The sessions empowered media professionals to advocate successfully for mandatory health reforms, ensuring their contributions to public health discourse are both impactful and responsible. Zinia Mbororo, a reporter from Radio Energy, expressed her appreciation for the workshop, noting that it critically enhanced her information of health reporting. She acknowledged, “As Radio Energy, we would love to collaborate extra with MoHSS on public health campaigns to reach a broader viewers”.
The workshop marked a large step in strengthening the relationship between the health sector and the media in Namibia.
