Title: The fight against malaria in the Democratic Republic of Congo: journalists take action
Introduction :
The Democratic Republic of Congo faces a silent pandemic that kills more people than COVID-19: malaria. As part of raising awareness and the fight against this disease, around twenty journalists recently took part in a training workshop organized by the National Malaria Control Program and the NGO Impact Santé Afrique. The objective of this training was to strengthen civil society and arm Congolese communities to deal with this epidemic which particularly affects children under 5 and pregnant women.
A strong commitment from journalists:
At the end of this training, the journalists present signed a charter of commitment, thus demonstrating their desire to support the NGO Impact Santé Afrique in its mission to put an end to malaria in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As community relays, these journalists will play an essential role in disseminating information and awareness messages across the country. They thus become key players in the fight against malaria and help save lives.
An alarming situation in the DRC:
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second largest contributor to the malaria burden in Africa and the third largest in the world. With more than 27 million cases in 2022 and nearly 25,000 deaths, there is an urgent need to act to put an end to this deadly epidemic. The journalists trained during this workshop will be able to disseminate factual and quality information on malaria, thus raising awareness among the Congolese population on the means of prevention, treatment and management of this disease.
Conclusion :
Training journalists on the fight against malaria in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a crucial step in raising awareness and mobilizing the population to put an end to this epidemic. These information professionals will play an essential role in disseminating prevention messages and reliable information, thus saving many lives. Thanks to their commitment, the hope of a malaria-free Democratic Republic of Congo is becoming more and more realistic.