By Mukhtar Sani Saulawa, Gombe
The Challenge Initiative (TCI) and Development Communications Network have organised a 3 day media training for some selected journalists and information officers of ministries, departments and agencies in Gombe State on health reporting, with emphasis on effective advocacy and generation of more demands on child birth spacing in the state.
Speaking on the essence of the training, a facilitator and development communication consultant Iliya Kure, said “The training is meant to improve on your writing strategies in producing appealing news stories that can trigger action from various stakeholders towards improved child birth spacing in Gombe State”.
Kure said Gombe State’s Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) is quite encouraging, as statistics from the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHC) showed significant increase from 4% in 2013 to 16% in 2018.
Despite the plus, the devCom expert said more need to be done to awaken policy makers, couples, youths and adolescents as well as other relevant stakeholders in doing the needful towards improved child birth spacing in the state.
On his part, the representative of The Challenge Initiative Nigeria Bauchi Area Office Yakubu Usman Abubakar, said media is key partner in generating more demand in child birth spacing, through public enlightenment and awareness.
Equally, the coordinator Development Communications Network in the state Comrade Alhasan Yahaya, said child birth spacing improves family health, economy and general standard of living, and by extension, a happier and prosperous society.
The three day media training which started on Tuesday 17 to Thursday 19 November 2020, featured paper presentations, discussions, group work and exercises as well as facility tours on child birth spacing units of some primary healthcare centres in Gombe metropolis.
The health training drew more than 20 participants from different media outfits, and information officers from ministries, departments and agencies in the state, who expressed satisfaction on the impacts gained during the training.
