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By Joyce Mukucha
Described as the powerful arm with enormous potential to influence health-related behaviours and perceptions, the media has been challenged to increase focus on serious public health issues (HIV/AIDS and Covid-19) and urged to report in a positive, educative and awareness raising way to change public opinions.
The media has been reminded that it was imperative to scale up efforts in HIV and Covid-19 reportage and use integrated and coordinated communication which is integral to dissemination of crucial health information which as a result contribute to building of a better, healthier future for people in Zimbabwe and beyond.
Addressing journalists of various media organisations during a- two-day National AIDS Council (NAC) workshop held in Chinhoyi, the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr John Mangwiro said journalists ought to develop more innovative programmes in packaging HIV/AIDS and Covid-19 messages to make them more appealing and palatable.
The workshop which was attended by journalists from both the print and electronic media was aimed at informing media practitioners on the statistics regarding the response to HIV and related conditions.
It also sought to discuss how the media can contribute towards ending AIDS by 2030.
“It is an honour and priviledge for me to have been invited to officially open this important workshop to give journalists an update on the current progess and trends in the national response to HIV/AIDS. I implore the media to make sure that it fulfils its developmental mandate in as far as HIV/AIDS reportage is concerned.
“The media is critical in the response to HIV/AIDS in as far as information dissemination is concerned. As a medical personal, we can come up with all sorts of interventions but if these are not properly relayed to people our efforts are all in vain. Therefore, when you put pen to paper , know that you are actually saving lives, ” said Dr Mangwiro.
Though he stressed the need for the media to improve efforts, Dr Mangwiro also hailed journalists for being active in the progress of taming the Covid-19 pandemic and their effective role and contribution in disseminating information about HIV/AIDS.
“As journalists, you have individually and collectively done an impressive job to demistify HIV/AIDS misconceptions and made it a story of hope, remember also to do the same about drug abuse.”
Assistant Programs Officer for Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission(PMTCT) in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Rumbidzai Mugwagwa said effective communication by the media is a necessary component of any effort to achieve positive health outcomes including reduction of HIV Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT) as well as achieving Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission targets.
“Media play a crucial role in disseminating health information. As we strive to attain a GOLD TIER by 2022 in as much as Prevention and Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV and congenital syphilis is concerned, you as the media should help us through your reportage to encourage our pregnant women to have institutional delivery to ensure that mothers with HIV and congenital syphilis do not pass it to the unborn child.
“When women deliver at health facilities, let’s say they got new infection during pregnancy, they can get assistance at birth to protect the child from infection. It is your responsibility to disseminate that information to them so they become aware of the health risks and protection,” said Mugwagwa.
She highlighted that if journalists provide accurate health information in a way that encourages audiences to take action and follow advice and guidance to protect safety and health, expected targets can be reached.
“I reiterate that as media practitioners, help us to urge our women in different communities to come for their first antenatal care. It is estimated by ZimStat that 500 000 women are expected to become pregnant. So we want to reach 95 percent of the expected and ensure that 95 percent get HIV test during their first antenatal care. Finally we want to ensure that 95 percent of pregnant in need of PMTCT access anti-retroviral treatment. We can’t continue to have situations where mothers continue to infect children with congenital syphilis infections and HIV MTCT.
“Regarding impact criteria, MTCT, we want to reach <5% in breastfeeding populations. For syphilis we want a target of <250 per 100, 000 live births and for HIV we are also aiming to have <250 per 100, 000 live births. This cannot be attained if you as journalists do not help us relaying crucial information to the people who need it.”
Mugwagwa also urged the media to help spread correct information pertaining the importance of adhering to medication to avoid defaulting and drug resistance.
Presenting on health communication, Dr Teddy Mungwari, a Senior lecturer in the Centre for Language and Communication Studies at Chinhoyi University of Technology said no matter how important the message, without expert communicators in public health, it may not reach the individuals and communities who need it.
He stressed that health communication was an expansive field that includes health advocacy, risk communication, health and policy advocacy, outbreak communication and health literacy highlighting that there was need for journalists to pay attention not only on Covid-19 but on all other diseases which affect communities and the nation at large.
He urged journalists to know the audience they are dealing with so that they package the message in a way that is understandable and positively impact and influence personal health behaviours and choice.
“Effective communication can help people learn proactive measures to limit exposure and it positively impact for informed decisions, health behaviour change and choices. As the media, when communicating health messages, you need to know the people you are disseminating information to and the type of audience should determine the message and format.
“As members of the fourth estate, do not forget to go beyond Covid-19, do not forget to also focus on other non-communicable diseases such as TB, cancer and diabetes among others. It is yours duty to talk about these other diseases , talk about the prevention and well as treatment. Make sure you report effectively educating the public but also make sure that you respect their language, culture, norms and beliefs.
“Let’s encourage people on prevention and treatment by communicating in a way which improve people’s understanding and cooperation. Effective communication can have impact on feelings of personal relevance to the health risk and spreading knowledge of appropriate health behaviours or policies help to mitigate risks,” he said.
Chairman of Sunrise Sign Language Academy, Douglas Mapeta said the media should utilise all the languages in the country including sign language with the correct terminology to communicate issues that affect People with Disabilities (PWDs).
Mapeta highlighted that the deaf were facing challenges in accessing to information thus the need for the media to play an crucial role in closing that gap.
He also encouraged them to step up in terms of disseminating correct information to communities to educate PWDs on the importance of HIV/AIDS drug adherence.
Learning sign language, he said, was imperative for journalists in Zimbabwe for them to become conversant.
“It is important for you as media practitioners to learn and understand sign language so that you can be able to unpack various issues affecting people with disabilities. It is your duty as the society’ s voice to ensure that Covid-19 and HIV/AIDS information is also accessible to PWDs especially on treatment and drug adherence using accomodative language which is not discriminatory.
“It is everyone’s right in Zimbabwe or the world to have information so the media should play a pivotal role in empowering in as much as dissemination is concerned. For example radio since you have your linked to Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms, it is important to have interpreters to interpret to deaf communities to ensure they don’t miss the vital information.”
Articulating on Covid-19 law and health rights, the Projects Coordinator for Health Law and Policy Consortium, Dorcas Chitiyo said the media should be the advocates for human rights in Covid-19 times as well as advocating for truth to ensure that vaccine hesitancy is dispelled in the fight against Covid-19.
“The duty of journalists in relation to the Covid-19 law is to inform the public position of the law. It is also your duty to clear citation of source relevant of relevant law as well as confirming reference to the actual letter of the law and avoid misinformation,” she said.
NAC Communications Director, Medelina Dube emphasised the need for journalists especially the “young” ones to utilise their energy to be unique, investigative and become observant to spread vital health information so that they can change people’s and communities lives.
Speaking on behalf of other journalists who attended the workshop, Robert Tapfumaneyi a journalist with Sly Media Productions thanked NAC for organising the event highlighting that it was educative and interactive.
“I want to thank NAC for inviting every Zimbabwean journalist without looking if it’s a state or private media. I urge my fellow journalists to go out there and alply what we learnt here to inform the nation and change lives of many people in various communities,” said Tapfumaneyi.