By: Emmanuel Terwase
The Kids & Teens Resource Centre (K&TRC) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Benue Council, have agreed to strengthen media collaboration to revive HIV/AIDS awareness and improve public health reporting in the state.
The Chief Executive Officer of K&TRC, Martin-Mary Fálànà, made the call during a courtesy visit to the NUJ leadership in Makurdi, saying responsible media reporting was critical to reducing misinformation and stigma while connecting vulnerable communities to essential services.
Fálànà also disclosed that the organisation was willing to explore media scholarships, fellowships and sponsored participation for journalists in AIDS conferences, health journalism workshops and other professional learning opportunities, subject to available resources and partnership arrangements.
He said K&TRC, a Nigerian women-led non-profit organisation established in 2002, had worked for more than two decades on child protection, education, HIV prevention and response, maternal and child health, gender equality, livelihoods, youth empowerment, child labour prevention and community development.
According to him, the organisation is expanding its partnerships in Benue around HIV and health programming, adolescent and youth development, skills development, child protection, advocacy and community engagement.
He urged the NUJ to collaborate with K&TRC on capacity building for journalists, joint public-awareness campaigns, community mobilisation and solutions-focused reporting on health and social development.
Responding, the NUJ Chairman, Benue State Council, commended K&TRC for its contributions to issues of public interest and particularly its interest in strengthening the capacity of journalists in the state.
He said improved training would equip journalists to report HIV/AIDS and other social and public health issues more effectively, while assuring the organisation of the council’s cooperation in promoting its activities for the benefit of the public.
The chairman also called for a renewed campaign against HIV/AIDS, saying the fight needed to be strengthened at a time when self-control appeared to be losing its place in society.(LupsonMedia)
