By Shadrach Aziz Kamara
The Free Media Group (FMG) publishers of the Politico newspaper with supports from STOP SPILLOVER has on Wednesday 30th August 2023, concluded a three-day media Workshop for 50 journalists for effective and Responsible reporting on Viral Zoonotic Disease and prevention of their spillover.
The workshop started on the 28th August and ends on the 30th August 2023 at the CCSL Hall on King Harman Road Brookfields Freetown.
In his keynote addressed, a medical Research scientist Professor Aiah Gbakima stated that Zoonotic diseases are infections that are spread between people and animals, adding that, they are responsible for most infectious diseases.
According to the U.S Center for Disease Control, he said that Ebola, Lassa fever and COVID-19 outbreaks in Sierra Leone are clear indications of the dreadful nature of zoonotic diseases, adding that they should be given utmost care and attention in a bid to curtail their spread and by extension prevent the emergence of such new pathogens in the country and the world at large.
He furthered that the reason for the workshop is because journalists are often limited by factors such as the lack of information and accurate data, adding that the expertise to interpret them resulting in reports that are not informative enough and at times, also lack accuracy.
He pointed out that Politico, as the recipient of Internews’ media grant under STOP SPILLOVER Project, decided to organize the three days capacity building training for local journalists to change this narrative.
He revealed that the training aimed at building the capacity of journalists to report on zoonotic diseases and the threat of their spillover with a One Health approach. According to Prof Gbakima the three days training, journalists will learn from professionals and experts, among others, existing threats of zoonotic disease such as Lassa Fever in Sierra Leone, the ongoing efforts to minimize these threats and minimize their impacts, and ways to report about these effectively and responsibly.
Professor Gbakima therefore called on journalists to be culturally sensitive to report issues and to also ensure the story has no political favoritism, fair in reporting and use simple languages.
In his part, Dr. Edward Magbity the team leader of Sierra Leone gives an update on the Activities of the strategies to prevent spillover. He maintained that STOP SPILLOVER is a consortium of several institutions working together to ensure that they prevent the Lassa fever Ebola /filo virus in Sierra Leone, adding that, their goal is to enhance understanding and reduced risk of Zoonotic viral spill over implication and spread. He furthered that they conducting research in communities such as the Gola Forest area, because they are potential Frontline in Zoonotic spill over.
During a panel discussion, a Journalist from India Stella Paul said that Journalists should not only focused on the story on one Gender alone as it affects every gender both male and female.
We take a tour round the Sanctuary as the staff and worker carefully show use the different quarters where the chimps are place starting from the Nursery to the quarantine and the wild life area.
In a PowerPoint presentation, one of the staff of Tacugama Sanctuary Mr. Alfred said that each of the chimp have name, adding that they are sensitive in a way that each one of them know their name as well as their foster mother Mama p. He revealed that 116 chimpanzees are presently in the sanctuary while 33 are in quarantine. He continued that they are quarantine because they want to train them to know their skill and prepare them to live freely, adding that they are also informed by the founder of the Sanctuary that there is encroachment in the Tacugama chimpanzee sanctuary which is very dangerous.
One of the facilitators, Dr Issac Massaquoi the Media Trainer at the school of Information and Communication provides the health reporting techniques and tips to journalists whilst writing on or investigating on Zoonotic diseases.
