Nigeria Health Watch, a not-for-profit health communication and advocacy organisation, has partnered with the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA) to organize the ‘Prevent Epidemics Journalism Award’.
NHEA is renowned for its recognition of healthcare heroes.
This new category in NHEA celebrates outstanding media reportage on epidemic preparedness and response across radio, print, and television.
Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch, Vivianne Ihekweazu, explained that the award recognises journalists, who raise awareness among the public and policymakers on the importance of funding epidemic preparedness and response.
“This recognition on NHEA platform inspires journalists to continue their vital role to ensure we are able to safeguard the country’s health security,” she said.
NHEA Project Director, Dr Wale Alabi, emphasised the significance of the collaboration. “This partnership with Nigeria Health Watch represents a significant milestone in acknowledging and celebrating the critical role of journalists in epidemic preparedness and response.”
The ‘Prevent Epidemics Journalism Award’ will not only honour outstanding reporting, but also contribute to raising the bar for healthcare journalism standards in Nigeria,” he stated.
Previous award winners had written articles that emphasise the importance of preparing for epidemics in Nigeria. In the 2022 edition, Abdulqudus Ogundapo of The Nation Newspaper won the Print/Online News Category for his story on how poor funding and technology hinder local COVID-19 vaccine production, while Arise Television won the television category for outstanding coverage of COVID-19 and epidemic preparedness.
Since inception, the eligibility criteria for nominated articles or shows centred around three key categories: epidemic preparedness and response to disease outbreaks in Nigeria, community awareness with a focus on improving awareness of infectious diseases while itemising the roles of citizens and actors in epidemic preparedness and response, and budget and funding-related stories.
NHEA, the Oscar of the Nigeria healthcare, celebrates individuals and organisations in the Nigerian healthcare sector, and has been instrumental in raising awareness, setting standards, and promoting excellence in healthcare services.
The Prevent Epidemics Journalism Award expands this mission by recognising the media’s pivotal role in epidemic preparedness and response in Nigeria.
