The the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) in collaboration with the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), and Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria (BA-Nigeria), has launched a media fellowship to address gaps in science communication , and effective coverage for behaviour change in the country.
The fellowship which is led by Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs is titled, ‘Epidemiology, Infodemiology and Social and Behavior Change/Risk Communication Media Fellowship (MEDIA-EIS FELLOWSHIP).’
Briefing newsmen in Abuja, Director General of NCDC, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa said the MEDIA-EIS Fellowship is a premier capacity-building program established to develop the knowledge, skills, and sector network of journalists working in the public health space through comprehensive training on basic epidemiology, infodemiology, and Social and Behavior Change (SBC)/Risk Communication.
He said the fellowship will enhance the success of field epidemiology investments, and greatly contribute to disease prevention, detection, and control of outbreaks, thereby strengthening the health security of Nigeria.
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He said, ” The role of the media in bridging the gap between science, government authorities, and the population is tacit. The media have the platforms, the audience, and the trust of their audience. Preparedness and response will be greatly enhanced with trained, included, and agenda-setting media.”
He said over the years, Nigeria has witnessed several outbreaks of infectious diseases, including the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), Ebola, Mpox, COVID-19, yellow fever, rabies, bovine tuberculosis, measles, and rubella outbreaks, in most states of the country, adding that it has recently experienced an unprecedented rate of Lassa fever infections as well as multiple outbreaks of mpox, diphtheria, cholera, meningitis, COVID-19.
He said a major gap identified by the NCDC during the response to these infectious outbreaks is the challenge of effective science communication, which would enable the general public to accept and adopt recommended safety behaviours and build resilience against the negative impacts of infodemics.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that outbreak preparedness and response have to be disease- and population-centric for acceptance and compliance. “As a result, investment into understanding the perceptions, needs, knowledge, attitude and practices of people at risk is critical to effectively conduct outbreak investigation and response. ”
The Deputy Director of Risk Assessment and Communication , Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Dupe Hambolu, said the program would help prevent negative reporting and encourage accurate, informative journalism that supports public health efforts.
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