A two day journalists training was held on the importance of polio eradication
Balkh, Afghanistan (27 August 2023): A two-day training program was held to address the current polio situation in the northern region of the country and the role of the media in preventing this disease.
This training, organized by the United Nations Children’s Fund/UNICEF Polio Eradication Program on the 26th and 27th of August 2023, took place in Mazar-e-Sharif, Balkh. A total of 75 male and female journalists, local media chiefs, directors of information and culture, and representatives from the health departments of Balkh, Jawzjan, Sarpul, Samangan, and Faryab participated in the event.
Kamal Shah Syed, the Communication Specialist of the United Nations Children’s Fund, stated that on the first day of the training program, journalists were briefed on the current polio situation in the country, particularly in the northern region. The discussion also addressed the media’s role in combating polio.
He said that besides this, technical information sessions on reporting, success stories writing, and addressing the challenge of polio in reports were discussed which will enable the journalist to enhance public awareness of polio and polio immunization.
Mr. Sayed said, “This training is very important to engage the local media and journalists and develop the capacity of the journalist to write high-quality reports and help the polio eradication program to combat negative propaganda against the polio immunization and misinformation management.
The participants in the training were very enthusiastic. They asked for more capacity-building opportunities from the United Nations organization.
Ahmadullah, the Balkh province Killid radio reporter said, “This training held for two days was a very good opportunity for the journalists of the North region to have more information on polio & polio immunization. I would like to request Unicef to keep their support of local media and journalists”.
Hadia Ebrahimi, a female journalist from Faryab province was very optimistic and said, “This is the first time I am participating in such a training. As a journalist, I’m responsible for contributing to polio eradication efforts in the country. But with enough information, it will be easier for the journalists to prepare quality reports on polio and contribute to the high awareness on polio and safeguarding of the children against polio”.
The two-day training was organized in the North region a day before the polio campaign planned in five provinces of the North region. North region is one of the regions in the country where poliovirus was detected recently. The detection of poliovirus in the North region is an alarm for all parents. During the polio campaign, approximately 1.44 million children will be vaccinated against polio.
It’s worth noting that a nationwide polio vaccination campaign was conducted in other regions of the country last week, with a target of more than 10 million children below the age of five years.
