USAID-IHP trains Journalists on health coverage in Bauchi

Journalists have been described as important stakeholders in the process of saving the lives of pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under 5 years through adequate and accurate reportage of issues revolving around quality family health.

The assertion was made by the Technical Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Integrated Health Programme (IHP), Dr Ibrahim Kabo during the opening of a 3-day media training on Maternal, Perinatal and Child Death Surveillance Response (MPCDSR) held at Chartwell Hotel, Misau on Tuesday.

The training is aimed at evolving ways to reduce the burden of MPCDSR in Bauchi state in particular and the country at large considering the trend of deaths during childbirth..

The USAID-IHP Technical Director also said that equipping Journalists with skills and knowledge to improve competency in investigating and reporting issues around MPCDRS cannot be overemphasized considering the changing trend in health reporting for quality healthcare particularly for pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under 5 years.

He further ascribed in-depth reporting to be a vehement tool for policymakers to have a good amount of fact checks for maternal and child health stressing that quality must not be compromised in healthcare service delivery.

According to him, “Reporting MPCDRS is sensitive and is for the general well-being of state and Country by extension to improve what should be provided to prevent maternal and child deaths.”

Kabo then urged the Journalists attending the training to take advantage of having first-hand information about MPCDRS to embark on an in-depth investigation in order to have an accurate report of the issues with the aim of mitigating the problem to improve quality family healthcare

in his brief presentation, USAID IHP Knowledge and Communication Advisor, Boniface Kassam explained that the training was aimed at increasing the knowledge of participants on maternal and child deaths to enable them to do accurate reporting of the issues.

Other objectives of the training was to discuss the roles and contributions of Journalists in reducing the burden of death and redefining modalities of media reporting of maternal, newborn and child deaths among others.

Secretary of Bauchi State Steering Committee of MPCDSR, Zuwaira Baba, said that with the support of implementation partners, 17 secondary health facilities are now reporting the issue of MPCDSR since 2022.

However, to scale up reports of MPCDSR and to expedite action, She said that fresher training is ongoing in 25 secondary health facilities and 13 primary health centres across the state.

Baba mentioned that part of the numerous challenges facing issues of effective and efficient healthcare service delivery in the state is the lack of budget line by the Bauchi State Government on MPCDRS and other health-related issues.

15 working Journalists in Bauchi state drawn from print and electronic organizations are participating in the training at the end of which they are expected to come out with resolutions on how to move forward positively.

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