A cross-section of journalists from various media houses in Ghana have undergone a two-day intensive training, aimed at strengthening their capacity to promote vaccine confidence and combat misinformation on vaccines in Ghana.
The workshop, organised by the National Vaccine Institute in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and African Media Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), brought together health reporters, editors, and communication officers from across the regions.
It formed part of a broader effort to enhance public trust in vaccines and ensure effective communication on immunisation issues.
Addressing participants, the Executive Director of AMMREN, Dr Charity Binka, emphasised the crucial role journalists played in shaping public opinion, and ensuring the public had access to accurate health information.
He noted that misinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccines remained a major threat to public health, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Journalists are key partners in health communication. The way you frame stories on vaccines can either build confidence or create fear,” she stated and indicated that the training would help ensure the public received the right information.
Participants were taken through topics such as the state of vaccine uptake in Ghana, Ghana’s road to vaccine self- sufficiency, clinical trials and vaccine development among others.
Resource persons from the Ghana Health Service, AMMREN, Food and Drugs Authority and NOGUCHI shared insights on effective communication strategies for increasing vaccine uptake.
Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NVI, said the training was timely as Ghana advanced plans to produce vaccines locally by 2027.
He added that public confidence and acceptance would be vital to the success of the country’s vaccine self-sufficiency agenda.
Some participants described the training as an eye-opening and pledged to use their platforms to educate the public about the safety and importance of vaccines.
The initiative is expected to be replicated in other regions to build a network of well-informed journalists who can help sustain vaccine confidence and support Ghana’s overall health security goals.
