ABBOTTABAD: A day long orientation session for the media persons was held here at a local hotel to capacitate media persons with communication skills and updated programmatic information for informed reporting on health issues that help address community misconceptions about essential immunization.
Additional Secretary Health and Coordinator Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Abdul Basit, Technical Focal Person EOC, Dr Imtiaz Ali Shah, National Professional Officer WHO, Dr Sarfaraz Afridi, Communication Development Officer NEOC, Ejazur Rehman, Media Officer EOC, Shadab Younas, Senior Journalist Mehmood Jan Babar and journalists from Peshawar were present on the occasion.
In the opening remarks, Coordinator EOC Abdul Basit welcomed all participants, saying that it is important that correct and authentic information is disseminated effectively through media and hoped that the activity will help equip participants with the skills required for accurate reporting on health and polio related incidents.
He said it is important to establish effective liaison with community and media and provide fact-based PEI related information to journalists. He urged participants to own this national cause and contribute stories, columns and features that build confidence and trust of public in vaccination.
Technical Focal Person EOC, Dr Imtiaz Ali Shah oriented journalists on global polio eradication initiative (GPEI), polio structures, national & regional polio updates, operational and communication challenges.
He said that due to government ownership and effective liaison with line departments most of the operational and communication challenges in the programme have been addressed while serious efforts are in progress to fix the remaining gaps.
National Professional Officer, World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Sarfaraz Afridi oriented participants about poliomyelitis, types and virus strains, history of disease, types of polio vaccines, vaccine safety & efficacy, repeated doses and requisites for certification of the last endemic region.
He explained how polio spreads, its prevention and shared global, national and regional polio updates and informed about National Emergency Action Plan (NEAP) 2020 operational & communication priorities, national, provincial and district structures supporting and executing the polio eradication programme.
He also discussed key challenges for the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) with specific focus on high risk districts of the province, saying that virus is circulating in the region and is hitting unvaccinated children and could be protected through vaccination.
Senior Journalist, Mehmood Jan Babar while taking session on reporting polio discussed various tools and tips for authentic reporting, current media trends and impact of misreporting with specific reference to health reporting.
He emphasized the need for being accurate and clearly mention source of the information apart from adding quotes of the relevant authorities to balance the news and make it more authentic.
Mehmood Jan said pressure should be managed while reporting on health/ polio issues and solutions should be worked out to remain right and accurate while reporting health news that impact the lives of the people.
Communication for Development Officer National EOC, Ejaz ur Rehman spoke about cross border synergy and the need for new harmonized communication plan that will help in overcoming remaining challenges in the last endemic region of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Communication Officer UNICEF, Shadab Younas oriented participants on story ideas, media tonality, and misinformation effects on public perceptions. She said that journalists being ears and eyes of the society should ensure accurate information in their stories as journalists are the opinion makers and play vital role in shaping public mind-set.
The journalists asked questions about polio program operations, polio vaccine, its safety and ingredients and participated in work group exercises during the sessions.
Later, coordinator EOC distributed certificates among the participants.