By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
The Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD), a Bauchi-based civil society organisation, is partnering with the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) project at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) to improve evidence-based reporting on child health and mortality.
The partnership will train journalists to report accurately on child health issues, interpret research and communicate public health information clearly for policymakers and communities.
During an advocacy visit to the CHAMPS office, J4PD Executive Director Elizabeth Kah said the media has a key role in improving health outcomes through accurate reporting.
She said the collaboration would strengthen communication between researchers and journalists and help present CHAMPS findings in an accessible way.
She added that the initiative would support advocacy for policies and interventions to reduce preventable child deaths.
The Principal Investigator of CHAMPS in Bauchi, Dr. Bashir Farouk Mohammed, welcomed the partnership and described the media as an important ally in turning scientific evidence into public action.
He said the Gates Foundation-supported project operates in eight countries and studies the causes of child deaths and stillbirths to generate evidence for better child survival and health policies.
Dr. Mohammed pledged CHAMPS’ support for media training, evidence-based advocacy and wider dissemination of research findings.
