Workshop to strengthen media skills on vaccination and the situation of unvaccinated children in Maniema, DR Congo.
On Monday, September 18, the Expanded Vaccination Program (EPI) organized a skills-building workshop for media professionals in the province of Maniema, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The objective of this workshop was to raise media awareness of the importance of vaccination and to discuss the situation of unvaccinated children in the province.
Yves Ndjadi, communications manager for PATH-RDC, seconded to the PEV in Kinshasa, underlined the importance of collaboration between the PEV and the media in promoting vaccination. He declared: “We absolutely had to come back to our work, talk a little about the difficulties reported by the media in the collaboration which exists, of course, between the Expanded Vaccination Program and the media.”
The workshop allowed journalists to better understand the different diseases against which children are vaccinated and to learn more about the benefits of vaccination. Mr. Ndjadi stressed the importance of vaccines, saying: “They must know that the vaccine saves lives and prevents our children from dying again from diseases that we call child killers.”
During the workshop, participants also had the opportunity to visit vaccination sites to observe how vaccines are administered to children. This practical experience aims to strengthen journalists’ understanding of the importance of vaccination and raise awareness of its positive impact on public health.
Maniema province currently has low vaccination coverage compared to the national average, due to various factors such as limited access to vaccination services, cultural beliefs and financial barriers. In order to improve this vaccination coverage, the EPI works in close collaboration with the media, local authorities and local communities.
The PEV hopes that this workshop will contribute to increasing media awareness and improving vaccination coverage in Maniema. By strengthening collaboration and sharing accurate and reliable information, it is possible to combat vaccine hesitancy and ensure equitable access to vaccines for all children in the province.
This workshop marks an important step in the promotion of vaccination in Maniema and highlights the importance of the role of the media in raising awareness and educating the population on the benefits of vaccination. By working together, we can fight preventable diseases and protect the health of children in Maniema province.