A three-day training workshop on Diabetes and Mental health illness reporting for the members of the Association of Health Journalists in The Gambia began on yesterday at the conference room of the Gambia Press Union in Fajara.

The three-day workshop facilitated by the Media Agenda, is funded by the National Commission for UNESCO. The training will serve  as a platform for Journalists to improve themselves by consulting the health officials so as to receive accurate information on health related issues.

The workshop is part of a training project targeted to train over 145 Journalists across the country in the media fraternity. Since the start of the project, some few months back, over 105 Journalists  were trained on various areas. Speaking at the opening of the training, Madi MK Ceesay director of Media agenda who is coordinating the project,  thanked the National Commission for UNESCO for funding the project.

He recognised the roles of Journalists in national development, adding that their services are very important.  "The project so far trained over 105 Journalists and with this current activity, it will bring us to a total of 145 Journalists, all trained and certificated. This will leave us with one more activity of training, in which 25 environmental Journalists will take part," Mr Ceesay revealed.

Ndey Tapha-Sosseh, president of the Gambia Press Union (GPU), thanked the Media Agenda and the NATCOM/UNESCO for facilitating and funding the project. She recognised that the training will improve the capacity of the Journalists on health reporting issues. She urged the AOHJ members to be accurate in their reporting and ensure that the information they gather are accurate.  

Pa Modou Faal, president of the Association of Health Journalists in The Gambia said that the focus of the training which centered on ‘Diabetes and Mental Health Illness’ will help members to report on these diseases accurately. He described the role of media as important in disseminating information on these diseases.

He challenged the health authorities and the National Drug Enforcement Agency to engage Journalists in helping to sensitise the public on these diseases. He described Diabetes as killer disease that kills silently.

Mr Faal suggested for a continuous reporting and sensitisation of Diabetes in society, to ensure that people know very well about the impact of it. Declaring the three-day training opened, Amadou Sowe, head of communication unit at the department of state for Health and Social Welfare, expressed delight to be associated with the AOHJ. According to him, the only strategy that can increase public awareness of mental health issues is Health Journalism, by promoting the need for cultural appropriate and human treatment for mentally ill.

According to Mr Sowe, the number of people with mental health problems has increased over the past years. He revealed that over 400 million people world wide are suffering from this disease. He then quickly urged participants to make best us of the training and put the knowledge gain into practice.