Infectious Diseases: WHO, Others train Oyo Journalists on reports writing
The one day training program for journalists which focused on Covid 19 pandemic, vaccination and Infodemic was supported by World health organisation and facilitated by Oyo NAWOJ in collaboration with Oyo state Emergency Operations Centre, situated in Yemetu, Ibadan.
The training was put in place to broaden and strengthen the knowledge of journalists on COVID-19 related issues and to set agenda for the coming days in sensitizing the public.
Other topics covered include early signs and treatments of Monkey pox, Lassa fever, Yellow Fever, Meningitis and Neo-Natal Tetanus diseases, noting that all these required early intervention by both the public and health officials.
Speaking on COVID 19, most importantly infodemic, Oyo State Coordinator, (WHO) Dr Phillips Zorto who advised Journalists to always pass the right information to the public , adding that it was only when such reports were validated that could make the report accurate.
According to him " Media have so much power that is the reason why I want to believe that Oyo State Government through the State Ministry of Health organised this training so that you can go and spread this information not only at the State capital but be disseminated at every nooks and crannies of Oyo state so that people can the magnitude of the problem we have at hand.
Also, Oyo State Disease Notification Officer, Mrs Titilope Akinleye while summarizing the health situation report said over eighty-five thousand samples were collected for COVID -19 testing, ten thousand, three hundred and eighteen were confirmed, ten thousand and sixty recovered while two hundred and two deaths were recorded.
In a lecture entitled,” The Role of Media in Diseases Emergencies, the Oyo State Chairperson of NAWOJ, Com. Jadesola Ajibola noted that reports must not be balance and accurately written in order to pass the right information to people.
Earlier, in a welcome address, Oyo State Director of Public Health, Dr Olubunmi Ayinde said the capacity training was an opportunity to enlighten journalists about epidemiology diseases in order to inform the general public
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