Odoemelam presents book on healthcare to boost media practice

A Communications expert, Dr. Chinedu Christian Odoemelam, has stressed the need for accurate reportage of health issues, saying it will address healthcare challenge, including prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.

In a chat with The Guardian, the erudite scholar, while unveiling the book titled: ‘Health Communication: Theories, Principles and Practice’, said, “it brings freshness to the literature on teaching and practice of health communication.”

He said that media practitioners and health reporters “would find it useful as it addresses major categories of healthcare challenges, including prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.”

The 28-chapter book is dedicated to the communication of COVID-19 pandemic, as well as an overview of communication and health information delivery in Nigeria.

Odoemelam, who is the Head of Department of Mass Communication, Igbinedion University Okada (IUO), said “the book discusses the issue bothering on health uniquely, which sets it apart from existing literatures on the subject.”

He emphasised that with topics on information and communication techniques like social media and mobile telephony that have brought new dimensions to the field of health communication, the book is a must read.

Odoemelam is a graduate of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). He is a recipient of several awards including, the Babatunde Jose’s prestigious award for reporting and the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Vice Chancellors Faculty Prize in 2015.He holds a Master’s degree and a PhD in Mass Communication.