Journalists across West Africa have been urged to shift from event-based reporting on HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria to ethical, people-centered journalism that highlights the human rights dimensions of these diseases.
The call was made by the Publisher of Nigeria Health Online (NHO), Mr. Sam Eferaro during a media training session held Monday in Lagos. The training, organised under the Breaking Down Barriers initiative by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, focused on improving the quality and empathy of health journalism.
The session also reviewed a landmark 2006 study by the International Federation of Journalists, which analysed media coverage of HIV, TB, and malaria across six countries: Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, India, Indonesia, and Cambodia.
Eferaro acknowledged that while progress had been made—especially in Nigeria—significant challenges remain.
“We’ve moved away from stigmatising terms like ‘AIDS victim’ or ‘HIV patient.’ Today, people living with HIV are recognised as people first. They marry, raise families, and some health facilities have even reported zero mother-to-child transmission,” he said.
However, he expressed concern that health reporting still leans heavily on event-based coverage, focusing on press releases, donor activities, and government statements—rather than in-depth investigations or human-interest stories.
He cited an example from Ghana, where a potential story on a health logistics crisis lacked proper verification.
“You quoted one source saying HIV commodities were delayed. But you didn’t check the port. You didn’t verify the status of the shipment. That’s lazy reporting. We must go beyond the ‘a source said’ model,” he emphasised.
Eferaro pointed to several factors undermining health journalism in the region: donor fatigue, shifting newsroom priorities, and low remuneration for reporters.
“Some Nigerian journalists earn less than five dollars per story. That kind of economic pressure directly affects the depth and consistency of health coverage,” he said.
He also urged journalists to prioritise ethics and empathy, especially when interviewing vulnerable people.
“There was a woman who lost two children due to poor hospital access. I asked myself, ‘Would I do this to my sister?’ I used a fictitious name to protect her.
It’s not just about being accurate — you must also be humane.”
Eferaro further criticised the underreporting of malaria, despite its prevalence.
“Malaria is our disease. We don’t need research to see it. Yet unless it’s World Malaria Day, media interest fades.”
He also described TB as a hidden epidemic, particularly in underserved rural communities.
“People have been coughing in villages for years without knowing it’s TB.
We can’t eliminate it without identifying cases. Journalists must help drive community-level screening.”
Commending the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Eferaro encouraged journalists to engage directly with scientists and patients to gain firsthand insight into diseases like TB and HIV.
“We’re not just reporting diseases — we’re reporting human lives.
Let us be bold, be present, and above all, be compassionate. Only then can journalism truly help end TB, HIV, and malaria.”
