By Mohamed Konneh
On the 22nd January 2021 the Health Reporters Network Sierra Leone in collaboration with Speak Up Africa will hold its first Malaria and Health awards at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Aberdeen in Freetown.
The award ceremony is geared towards recognizing journalists who have overtime sensitized community residents about malaria and to also distinguish people who have done so well within the health sector.
According to investigation, the award will also avail Speak Up Africa the opportunity to celebrate journalists who have demonstrated exemplary leadership that have brought about a positive impact through their work and initiatives.
President of Health Reporters Network, Swaliho Vandi, intimated that the award is to recognize media practitioners who continue to raise awareness and trigger action around important public health issues such as malaria, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), immunization, sanitation, and COVID-19.
He explained that the award ceremony will be in two fold; first, Speak Up Africa will give awards to deserving media practitioners who did very good stories on Malaria in the year 2020, while Health Reporters Network will award health practitioners, Institutions, Civil Society Groups, Individuals and NGOs who continue to contribute to the country’s health sector.
He furthered that there are so many unnoticed things going on within the health sector but lamentably very little is known by members of the public underscoring that it is important to recognize such individuals and institutions that are endeavouring to make those things known.
“It is high time we recognize these people so that they will continue to do more. Also as journalists we will continue to write educative stories and bring out the odds in the sector for Government and key stakeholders to take action. This is the more reason for this award,” the President said.
The Health Reporters Network President highlighted some of the successes gained since the organization was formed noting that they have partnered with Speak Up Africa, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation on a number of health related activities.
“We have been also very active since the Corona virus outbreak with our members joining NaCOVERC to reach out to communities and putting out stories on regulations. Our stories on health issues especially malaria continue to educate the wider public on preventive methods and how we could all help to kick malaria out of Sierra Leone and Africa as a whole,” he maintained adding that the role of the Network is to rally young people, coordinate the media and reporters to increase awareness in the fight against malaria and other health related issues.
It will be recalled that Sierra Leone announced the roll out of its “Zero Malaria Starts with Me campaign” in April on World Malaria Day 2019. Led by the National Malaria Control Program and supported by Speak Up Africa, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, the African Union, and with funding from Comic Relief & GSK, Sierra Leone is leveraging the movement to strengthen support from local and national political, religious and traditional leaders, as well as driving private sector support and community engagement across the country.
In Sierra Leone, the name of the campaign is translated into Krio as “Malaria E Don Wan Dae Na Mi Han”.
