Nigerian Govt seeks media partnership to enhance health coverage

By Matthew Eloyi

The Federal Government of Nigeria has urged media organizations to form strong and long-term collaborations to improve health coverage and raise awareness in order to combat illness outbreaks in Nigeria.

In her welcome remarks at a One Day Meeting to Sensitize Media Sector on Operationalization of Media Engagement Strategy for Health Promotion in Nigeria 2021 to 2025 in Abuja, the Director of Family Health, Dr Salma Ibrahim Anas, noted that the use of social media has resulted in the spread of misinformation on public health issues, prompting the need to work on health and media sector engagement.

The Director, who was represented by Bako Aiyegbusi, the Head of the Health Promotion Division, explained that the Family Health Department’s Health Promotion Division, in collaboration with key players in the media sector, has developed Nigeria’s first Media Engagement Strategy for Health Promotion, which will run from 2021 to 2025.

She added that this was done to emphasize the importance of the media’s role in raising awareness of the ministry’s actions.

In her words, “The media engagement was aimed at sourcing for avenues for media reportage of health activities as the critical role of the media in creating awareness on issues of public interest cannot be overemphasized”

“The strategy aims to provide a guideline on how the Health sector will work effectively with the Media sector to increase awareness and reportage of Reproductive Maternal New-born Child Adolescent and Elderly Health plus Nutrition, and other essential health services at both the Federal and Sub-national levels.”