Journalists specializing in health reporting are undertaking on a three-day training course on reproductive health. The initiative by the Ministry of Health has attracted over 100 participants from various media houses across the country. According to the Director General of the Health Communication Centre (HCC), Gamaliel Binamungu, the training aims at equipping the practicing journalists with appropriate health reporting skills for the promotion of behavioral change where necessary. “Under this programme we shall tackle various topics like family planning, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/Aids, tuberculosis, its causes and need for quick treatment among others.” “By inculcating this knowledge, we believe that they are the right people to inform the public and in a way, change the attitudes like stigma on condom use and issues concerning HIV/Aids. This is a committed group of people and once they understand this information, then the public will,” Binamungu said. Citing journalists’ training sessions that have been taking place on an annual basis, the HCC boss noted that after every workshop, it normally takes a few days for health officials to notice the impact by the publications and broadcasts in relation to health. The workshop which is sponsored by Global Fund to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria has facilitators from Intra Health Twubakane, TRAC plus, and experts from various hospitals in the country such as King Faisal Hospital, Kigali University Central hospital and CHUB. Ends
