Health Reporting

This presentation about health reporting in Zimbabwe was presented at the Soul City Regional Edutainment Workshop on May 19 2005 in Johannesburg. It looks at conscious and creative journalistic endeavour, directed at producing messages for the mass media which are aimed at fostering and developing public awareness of those human habits that promote not merely the surveillance and prevention of diseases, but the state of complete physical, mental and social well being of society and its individual members.

The aims and objectives of health reporting are to:

• make people aware of some of the pertinent health concerns such as HIV & AIDS; TB & Malaria
• provide information on good health habits, behaviour and attitudes
• refer people to health centres for treatment
• agitate for health conducive environmental policies & laws
• mobilise people to fight against epidemics
• encourage new social practices conducive to good health
• help people to understand how to change their behaviour related to their health & also to let them understand the benefits of such
• capacity building
• educating & Entertaining

The presentation also looks at health policies, laws and ethics, major health concerns in Zimbabwe, how health reporting has assisted success to health reporting, media In Zimbabwe and constraints and obstacles to health reporting.

To request the full presentation e-mail to Tapuwa Loreen Mutseyekwa at loreen@action.co.zw