Experts Call for Media Accountability in Health Reporting

During a two-day workshop organized by the Centre for Journal Development (CJID) in Abuja, experts called for stronger media accountability in health reporting. Bless Eneb Lago made this call, emphasizing the need for journalists to enhance their skills in investigative reporting and fact-checking.

Dapo Olorunyomi, Chief Executive Officer of CJID, and Ibukun Oguntola from Nigeria Health Watch discussed the poor access to healthcare and low-quality care as major factors affecting health outcomes in Nigeria. Loi Ugbed, editor at Dubawa, warned against unverifiable health claims, including false narratives linking HPV vaccines to infertility.

She introduced the SIFT approach to help journalists trace claims to trustworthy sources. Ifeanyi Chukwudi urged for stronger investigative coverage to address funding gaps and weak implementation in healthcare delivery.

Nike Tamb highlighted the importance of primary healthcare facilities, noting their poor equipment and staffing, which affects service delivery and overall health outcomes. The workshop underscored the need for health journalists to amplify community voices and counter misinformation.