News: PCP urges media to highlight health issues
Publication: The Nation
Date: June 28, 2013
Web Address:- http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/islamabad/28-Jun-2013/pcp-urges-media-to-highlight-health-issues
June 28, 2013
ISLAMABAD – Press Council of Pakistan Chairman Raja Shafqat Khan Abbasi has stressed upon the media to highlight health issues especially child health, says a press release.
Speaking at the concluding session of two days workshop for health reporters at an Islamabad hostel, he appreciated the move of Save the Children, saying such sessions would help media to highlight issues of national importance in a better way. Selected journalists from all over the country participated in the event aimed at raising awareness on the subject issues, highlight the importance of child and maternal health and ensure increased reporting on these subjects. Ghulam Qadri briefed the participants about Save the Children’s efforts to ensure the fulfillment of Child Rights in Pakistan and its health and nutrition work on the ground.
Dr Qudsia Uzma explained the status of child and maternal health in Pakistan, particularly highlighting the importance of nutrition, health workers and immunisation in meeting commitments made to the MDGs. She said malnutrition in first 1000 days of life causes irreversible damage and there was need of a political will to improve the situation. Amir Zia highlighted ethical journalism and gap in media coverage on health issues. He guided journalists on how to pitch health stories as such news is not given much importance.
David Hayward spoke on The Art of Story Telling through Digital media. He stressed on the importance of journalists having an online presence in this digital age and how they can increase their readership/viewership through social media.
Arshad Mahmood said that the objective of the ‘Every One Campaign’ is to help reduce under-five child mortality and this training will add to the efforts to advocate for necessary policy change for improved child and maternal health.
‘When it comes to children’s health, the focus of media is on emerging issues such as measles outbreak but not on the broader issues as what are the weaknesses in routine immunisation system and how to strengthen it opined Mahmood.
The participants were briefed about Save the Children’s efforts to ensure the fulfillment of Child Rights in Pakistan and its health and nutrition work on the ground.
