Rédaction Africa Links 24 with New Dawn
Published on 2024-02-26 21:21:48
Partners In Health (PIH) Liberia, a non-profit global health organization, collaborated with the Maryland County Health Team to conduct a day-long training session for 23 journalists in Maryland County. The training, which took place in Harper City on February 22, aimed to educate media professionals on health reporting and establish partnerships to promote images and strategies for collaborative reporting. The event brought together health workers, journalists, and key stakeholders including PIH Duty Executive Director Viola Karanja, Maryland County Health Officer Dr. Suedoh Freeman, PIH Communication Specialist Luther Mafalleh, and others.
During the training, Viola Karanja emphasized the importance of media engagement in promoting health reporting and building partnerships to achieve PIH’s vision and mission in Liberia. She highlighted PIH’s role as a leading academic institution working to create evidence-based global health policies and strengthen national health systems. PIH operates in 11 countries, providing direct care to millions of patients through public facilities and community engagement. Karanja outlined the organization’s four key pillars: capacity building, universal health coverage, medical assistance, and evidence-based policy translation.
She also highlighted PIH’s involvement in the Ebola outbreak of 2014 and 2015, where the organization supported the government in controlling the virus through patient accompaniment and expertise. PIH expanded its mission in Liberia to strengthen and rebuild the country’s health systems, particularly focusing on mental health care in Harper and Pleebo, Maryland County. The organization works closely with the Ministry of Health to integrate mental health services into primary care and enhance capacity among clinical providers and community health workers.
Viola Karanja stressed the importance of media involvement in achieving PIH’s goals and promoting health education to the public. She emphasized the media’s role in shaping public perceptions and providing accurate and balanced health information. County Health Officer Dr. Suedoh Freeman commended the media for its role in highlighting health issues, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and expressed the county health team’s willingness to collaborate with the media in promoting the one health policy.
Luther Mafalleh, the Communication Specialist and Lead Trainer, emphasized the importance of ethical reporting in maintaining public trust and credibility. He underscored the media’s role in shaping social behavior change and encouraged journalists to uphold the highest standards of accuracy and credibility in their reporting.
Overall, participants in the training session praised PIH-Liberia for the opportunity to enhance their understanding of health reporting and contribute to improving the health sector in Maryland County. They expressed gratitude for the training and called for more opportunities for capacity building in the future. The collaboration between PIH and the Maryland County Health Team highlights the importance of media engagement in promoting health education and building partnerships for sustainable health outcomes.
Read the original article on The Newdawn Liberia
