…trains journalists on reporting risk, protection
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has deployed dozens of Community health champions to the Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs) camps in Borno to scale up sensitization on protection against seven killer diseases in the state.
Amina Kyari, one of the community champions, told journalists during the house-to-house sensitization at Madinatu IDPs’ camp, Old Maiduguri on Friday the exercise was to ensure people get enough information on how to protect themselves and prevent being victims of the seven dangerous diseases tagged by WHO as killer diseases.
“Make sure you wash your hand with soap and water whenever your use toilet, swept the compound or dispose waste before you eat or breadfeed your child. You will be protecting yourself and your family not only against coronavirus but also cholera, measles, Lassa fever, malaria and others,” she told a nursing mother in her temporary shelter at the camp
She gave similar message to other women in various households, showing them pictures of how dangerous the diseases could be on their health. She said she has been engaged in the awareness campaigns with other volunteers for months.
The Madinatu camp has about 12,000 IDPs according to statistics provided by some officials. There are two other IDPs in the area located at the city subdurd.
Earlier at a training on reportage of disease prevention and protection, WHO’s Emergency Manager, Dr Richard Lako described journalists as crucial to disease control and prevention.
He described Covid-19, Cholera,
Measles, Malaria,Hepatitis,Lassa fever and Yellow fever as seven killer diseases common in the state
“Borno is unique because it has existing humanitarian crisis, Covid-19 and Cholera outbreak. These diseases have made people to be at risk. So people need information to protect themselves and the media play critical role in this regard,” he said
About 40 journalists in both the print and broadcast stations in the state attended the training.
Credit: Daily Sun