Source: Awoko The Country Director and Senior Policy Adviser Ipas Sierra Leone, Valarie Tucker has called on the media to provide more space and develop more programs relating to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights in order to intensify on the awareness campaign on SRHR for women in the country and to advocate on the improvement of health facilities and services.
She made this statement during a two-day workshop on advancing women's Reproductive Health and Rights organized by African Journalists without Borders Sierra Leone Chapter at Ramsey House in Freetown.
She noted that Ipas SL discovered that most media houses especially the newspapers, give space and cover political stories compared to health issues especially on women Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) which she maintained is a significant issue that needs to be addressed and the media, she added, should play a great role in enhancing the rights of women through information dissemination.
Valarie Tucker urged the media and the editors in charge to publish stories relating to SRHR and advised female journalist to emphasize on Health issues reporting and encouraged them to be committed in reporting by doing thorough investigations and to do follow-up on health issues of women, as they can act as the right channel to advocate on women's issues and health.
The program Coordinator and Information officer Ipas SL, who is also a member of African Journalist without Borders, Abibatu Dora Kamara, said journalists are faced with challenges when it comes to health reporting, as most of the health personnel refuse to give accurate information on health issues in the country and this has had an adverse effect on reporting the issues accurately.
She called on editors to pay attention to health issues, as with the pen they can influence policies relating to women's health issues and rights .
By Mariam Bah
Friday June 27, 2014