30 Health Journalists ends training, calls for more training opportunities

Thirty journalists from both print and electronic media last week completed five days intensive workshop aimed at strengthening their capacity to utilize research evidence making in The Gambia.

The participants used the opportunity to call on the organizers, CIAM - Public Health Research and Development Centre to help train more Gambian health journalists in order to enhance their intellectual knowledge on health related information.

The health journalists training was held at the conference hall of the National Malaria Control Programme in Kanifing.

The participants during the five days were lectured on health concepts and terms, monitoring and evaluation, using evidence in research during a power point presentation.

They were also introduced to searching for evidence and information, assessing quality of articles, designing a survey and questionnaire and reviewing of some technical health terms.

The aim of the course is to strengthen the capacity of members of the health journalists association to use evidence in health related legislative processes, public policy advocacy and oversight and information dissemination.

Participants have also worked in groups during practical sessions and computer-based learning was also introduced by the course organizers, Dr Samuel Anya, and Dr Ayo Palmer.  Participants were also trained on how to select options for decision-making, report writing among other importance topics.

According to officials, the decision to convene a capacity building workshop came after a consultative meeting between CIAM and the Association of Health Journalists.

After successfully completing the five days training, each of the journalists were awarded certificate.

Association of Health Journalists Congress

Meanwhile, members of the Health Journalists Association under the leadership of Pa Modou Faal have unanimously agreed to go to polls on 9 April 2011 to elect a new executive that will steer the affairs of the association for the next three years.

Members agreed to hold the congress at Daily News media offices along Kombo Sillah Drive Churchill's Town at 10am.