Three months after the Yaoundé declaration was signed, members of Malaria Media Taskforce have discussed the follow up of its implementation.
The Yaoundé declaration sanctioned the Malaria Minister’s forum which held in Yaoundé on 6th March 2024, grouping ministers from 11 High Burden High Impact countries.
Members of the Malaria Tafk Force held the quarterly meeting in Yaoundé on 6th June to work on a plan that will facilitate the follow up of the implementation of the Yaoundé Declaration.
The meeting was jointly organized by the Ministry of Public Health, the National Malaria Control Programme ( NMCP) and Impact Santé Afrique. Among participants were representatives from the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Communication and officials from the National Malaria Control Programme.
As Africa steps up efforts to beat the disease, these journalists will join the roll-back-Malaria train via an improvement in Malaria reporting.
In order to effectively follow up the declaration, the journalists had a keen look at the content of the document. They all agreed that effective follow up of the declaration begins with its mastery.
Prospects for the days ahead
Apart from charting a course for the follow up of the Yaoundé Declaration, the journalists discussed innovative ways of reporting on malaria.
They also came up with a list of activities and projects to be carried out during the next quarter of the year.
One of the key issues to be examined is the implementation of a multidisciplinary framework for the fight against Malaria in Cameroon. The framework will be launched in the days ahead.
Valuable lessons
Coming from a wide range of media outlets, many of the journalists who attended the quarterly meeting said it was an enriching experience that will change their approach to Malaria reporting.
“Today’s meeting has given me many ideas on how to improve my Malaria reporting skills. I have also become aware of how to question the work of health experts, especially the authorities of the Ministry of Public Health to know how far they have gone with the implementation of health projects,” Rostand Tchami , Editor-in-chief of Santé Nature Plus said.
“The meeting is a big advantage for journalists because it equips us with the right vocabulary used in writing stories, and mastery of the various important dates. It also brings us in contact with key stakeholders so that we can be able to access information easily,” Oscar Abessolo told CRTV Web.
“This was an opportunity to evaluate the contribution of journalists to the fight against malaria. We also had to look at what we can do to reduce the burden of the disease in our various communities,” Nadege Christelle Bowa,” journalist for Le Messager said.
The task force will meet again in three months to evaluate activities carried out during the previous quarter of the year, and their contribution to the fight against the disease.
Kathy Neba Sina
