UNICEF, NUJ task journalists to focus on women, children issues

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Wednesday called on media practitioners in the country to look more into issues affecting women and children in their reportage to tackle their health problems.

UNICEF and NUJ stated this in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State during Multi-Zonal Media Dialogue on Dissemination of Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey with Journalists from South East, South South and North Central in attendance.

The media dialogue was organized by the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia (BCA) in collaboration with UNICEF.

Speaking at the dialogue, UNICEF Communication Officer, Dr. Ijeoma Ogwe, said it was organized to galvanize action, and unify with government and persons in positions to take favourable actions for children’s well-being to make more visible plights children.

She described UNICEF as the world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, adding that the organization supports child health and nutrition, quality basic education for all boys and girls and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.

In his remarks, NUJ Rivers State Chairman, Comrade Stanley Job, lamented that journalists have abandoned their core responsibilities of advocating for the masses and now focus on politics and politicians for the reasons best known to them.

He said the survey measures various governments’ progress towards national commitments and sustainable development goals.

“The goals are to assist countries in filling data gaps for monitoring human development indicators in general and the situation of children and women in particular.

“Data are provided on child mortality, health, nutrition, education, child and social protection, women’s health care, empowerment and vaccination coverage provided through the health systems.

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“MICS results reveal that Nigeria has made progress in some sectors, child mortality decreased from 1 in 8 children dying before their fifth birthday to 1 in 10 children.

“There has also been significant progress in exclusive breastfeeding and birth registration rate.

“The exclusive breastfeeding rate, according to MICS reports, increased from 24 percent to 34 percent, while nearly 60 percent of Nigerian children are now registered at birth with civil authorities, compared to 47 percent in 2016.

“In addition, child marriage (women married before age 18) has reduced from 44 percent to 30 percent since 2016.

“Other traditional harmful practices, like female circumcision, maltreatment of widows, and child trafficking should at all times be condemned by the media through her reportage.

“We seem to focus more on politics and politicians, thereby neglecting these all-important areas. It is said that what is not reported, did not take place,” he stated.