Experts Urge Evidence-Based Health Journalism in Kaduna

Health experts in Kaduna State have called for journalists to embrace evidence-based reporting to promote accountability, influence policy reforms, and enhance primary healthcare service delivery. This appeal was made during a two-day Media Engagement Workshop organized by the Kaduna State Ministry of Health in collaboration with ISMPH, EngenderHealth Consortium, and the Unified Health Media Network.

The workshop aimed to improve journalists' skills in analyzing primary healthcare data and producing impactful reports. Solomon Dogo, representing ISMPH Executive Director Moji Makanjuola, emphasized the importance of understanding health facility performance data.

Dr. Abdulazeez Jumare, Programme Manager for Accountability, Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL), highlighted the need for balanced reporting using verified data.

He pointed out that over 1,000 primary healthcare centers in Kaduna require about 15,000 workers, but only 5,000 to 7,000 are available. The workshop concluded with practical sessions to equip participants with skills in interpreting primary healthcare data.