Ministry of Health Holds Town Hall Meeting
By Mohamed Konneh
The Ministry of Health on Monday 24th June 2024 held a town hall meeting bringing along the media and bloggers under one roof. The town hall meeting was held at the Family Kingdom, Aberdeen in Freetown that was geared towards partnership and collaboration between the Ministry and the local media.
Speaking during the meeting the Minister of Information and Civic Education Chernor Bah start by challenging the media about changing the narrative within the health sector adding that there is so much we could do in that direction.
‘We cannot win in this sector if we do not communicate to the public and the more reason why this partnership is important. There was so much negative thing about the health sector but so much is changing now, he said.
The Minister of Information and Civic Education noted Sierra Leone is struggling with fake news, mis-information and this is because everybody wants to be a journalist.
“We want this country to progress and this will only be possible when we have a dedicated partnership. We are not stopping you from doing your work but all we are saying is to have your facts and make sure the correct news is put out, he said.
The Information Minister called on the media to join the ministry of Health and government and help to build sector noting that lot have changed within the sector.
In his keynote address the Minister of Health Dr. Austin Demby start to talk about his journey while at the CDC IN THE United States of America adding his budget was around two billion dollars.
“I was helping countries to build their health system and during this period the president asked me to come and help the system. My coming back to Sierra Leone is a commitment to help build the system and that is exactly what we are doing, he said.
The Minister of Health noted that you can have the best malaria program but somebody is dying of typhoid.
“This is the more reason for universal health coverage and this should cover each and every person in the country. The pregnant women should be able to visit a health center and deliver safely. We now have the responsibility to make sure this happens. The health care system must be able to see each and every one of us and to administer the best of health care, he said.
Dr. Austin Demby noted that Sierra Leone has committed to and is poised to achieve the 2030 universal health coverage targets by working towards providing affordable and accessible quality healthcare for its people without causing financial hardship.
‘We are not just doing this we are also setting targets. Maternal deaths have increase drastically and very soon we will put the figures out. There is no way we could do public health without getting the public involve,” he said.
Speaking earlier on the Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Isaac Massaquoi said the Media Landscape has changed and it is unrecognisable and remains a tough terrain to operate.
He encouraged Members of the media to be covering the good sides of events bringing out the best of information to the public.
The Chairman, Guild of Newspaper Editors, Donald Theo Harding while speaking said that Health in Journalism plays a crucial role in the development of a Country.
Mr. Harding noted that challenges faced in the sector are resource constraints, the advent of social media, lack of expertise, medical issues, Government policies and lot more.
He said the role of the media in Health Journalism, Public education, efficiency in health care systems, empowering communities is great while calling on journalists to prioritise health reporting.
The President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists(SLAJ), Ahmed Sahid Nasrallah, extended thanks and appreciation to MoH for building relationship with the Media while assuring the ministry of SLAJ commitment in promoting the health sector.
He urged that more attention should be given to MoH by Media practitioners while frowning at restrictions on Journalists to reach out to appropriate authorities when they are on the verge of doing their job.
The Chairman, IMC Joseph E. Kapuwa Esq, noted commitment to foster robust partnership between MoH and the Media adding that it is essential for health reporting as it will closed that information gaps.
WIMSAL President, Eastina Taylor said more women are needed in the media to report on health issues.
She said Female Journalists are care givers and the need for them to build their capacity in the area of health reporting.
The Town Hall meeting ended with participatory sessions among Media Practitioners, followed by debates between Media Stakeholders and officials from the Ministry of Health.
