The World Health Organisation (WHO) in collaboration with the Oyo State Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Oyo State chapter, recently organised a day training program, which focuses on COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination and more importantly Infodemic for journalists in the state.
The training, which attracted participants from print, broadcast and online media houses in the state, was to strengthen and broaden the knowledge of journalists on COVID-19 related issues and other diseases as well as set agenda for the coming days in sensitising the public.
Present at the training include the representative of WHO, Dr. Philip Zorto; the State Epidemiologist, Dr. Akinfemi Akinyode; Incident Manager for COVID-19, Dr Oluwabukola Alawale; Incident Manager for Tuberculosis, Dr. Adeniyi Adeniran; Cluster Consultant, Dr. Oluyinka Dania, and State Liason Officer for NCDC.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Bode Ladipo, who was represented by the Director of Public Health, Dr. Olubunmi Ayinde, thanked the organisers for the initiative, stating that with the increasing cases of Covid-19, tuberculosis and other communicable diseases in the country, all stakeholders must pitch in to put an end to the prevalence of the diseases.
The representative of WHO, Dr. Zorto,, in his remarks, enjoined journalists to rise up to the task of providing adequate information on infectious diseases to members of the public and to always check their facts before putting stories out in the public.
On her part, the Chairperson, Oyo NAWOJ, Comrade Jadesola Ajibola, urged all tiers of government, security agencies and development partners to henceforth recognise journalists as frontline workers during emergencies periods.
She noted that journalists usually play important roles during emergencies such as the outbreak of pandemics like COVID-19, cholera, during wars and crises just like other professionals such as medical workers and security agents, insisting that journalists should be recognised as frontline workers.
She similarly advised that journalists should be given incentives like other professionals because they too played significant roles especially during the heat of COVID-19.
According to her, “We need to recognise journalists as frontline workers during emergencies. We should be seen and addressed as frontline workers and should be given hazard allowances.
“We report and do a lot of sacrifices and work during the COVID-19 period just like health workers and other professionals but when the government want to give incentives and donate items, they give it to health workers not minding that journalists are the one reporting all these events.
“We want the government and WHO and other agencies to see journalists as part of the people at the fore front during emergencies. We do a lot of work during emergencies like the outbreak of COVID-19.”