Coronavirus: COMPASS applauds LASG, UNICEF and NCDC for media engagement in the fight against COVID-19

L-R: Jenifer Nwosu COMPASS Welfare Director, Felix Godonu COMPASS Treasurer, Tayo Aderinola COMPASS President, Sadeeq Bada, COMPASS Secretary, Dr. Everistus Aniaku, Head Emergency Operations Centre, NCDC and other participants observing the required social distancing in a group photograph after the sensitization and media engagement organized for Health Correspondents/ Editors by the Lagos State Ministry of Health in partnership with UNICEF on Friday at the LCCI Conference Center, Nurudeen Olowopopo way, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos on Friday
Resource Person: Dr. Everistus Aniaku, Head Emergency Operations Centre, Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC)
Resource Person: Dr Hilary Ozoh, Director Communication for Development, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Dr Wadzingie Basile, World Health Organization (WHO): Resource Person for the COVID-19 facts, critical intervention required for emergency response
Tayo Aderinola President Community Media Practitioners Association at the sensitization and media engagement organized for Health Correspondents/ Editors by the Lagos State Ministry of Health in partnership with UNICEF on Friday at the LCCI Conference Center, Nurudeen Olowopopo way, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

…applauds LASG and NCDC for proficiently handling coronavirus outbreak:

Community Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (COMPASS), the umbrella body of all community media in Nigeria has urged the 3 tiers of government in Nigeria, corporate organisations and philanthropists to further make adequate provision for protective materials to the general public.

This was disclosed in a statement made by the President of the association, Comrade Tayo Aderinola after the sensitization and media engagement organized for Health Correspondents/ Editors by the Lagos State Ministry of Health partnering with UNICEF on Friday at the LCCI Conference Center, Nurudeen Olowopopo way, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

The President of COMPASS commended the Lagos State Government and UNICEF for partnering to engage the media in the fight against the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19).

He however stated that the event was coming a bit late but it’s a welcome development as the media are already playing it pivotal role in the fight against the scourge.

He stated that “the media engagement on novel COVID-19 reportage was long overdue as this would enable both the healthcare providers and health reporters synergise for a common goal of curbing the deadly virus”.

“The issue of misinformation is a serious issue at this moment and must be avoided by all means”.

“Frequent engagements like this would definitely improve sensitization drive as the media will be better informed of the true situation and able to report appropriately”.

Resource Person: Dr. Everistus Aniaku, Head Emergency Operations Centre, Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) during his with interview with COMPASS Team and other journalists at the event

Dr. Everistus Aniaku, Head Emergency Operations Centre, Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) in Lagos State who also spoke with community media practitioners’ and other health correspondents stated that the essence of the media engagement is for the reorientation of the media on the response strategy that the NCDC is using to contain the COVID-19 outbreak in Lagos State and generally across the country.

Dr Aniaku stated that “we have a robust structure that accommodates different stakeholders. All the relevant and supportive partners are all partnering in this response to make their own input to ensure that there is an effective coordination of information and resources”.

He further stated that “engaging and collaborating with media is an ideal thing, as this would help curb the issue of fake news or unwarranted rumours.

“Situation had happened where we have different dimensions of fake reports from different media. Like I earlier mentioned about Punch talking about the index case trying to escape from the hospital isolation centre. If I was not in Lagos I would have been thinking otherwise but I witnessed all the situation. I am aware the Italian was so happy, stable and chatting with us. In fact he requested for and ate Nigerian food. He was so happy with the process. The isolation place where he was and all other suspected cases are very habitable. So I don’t know where Punch got their story from”.

We are doing all we can to curb the COVID-19. The media should help disseminate the proper news and not fake news.

He equally advised every Nigerian to “source information from the appropriate channel and also support us by encouraging the good work we are doing with their prayers. We are open to criticism but it has to be objective criticism”.

The NCDC representative also alluded that “I would like to inform our people that the prognosis of COVID-19 is not so bad and the case of fatality is low. We have recorded one death while 3 patients already discharged”.

“The index case is now in Rome and he still communicate with us from time to time in appreciation. We are about to discharge some other persons once they meet the criterial for discharge”.

On the preparation of the NCDC in the case of upsurge of infected persons with the COVID-19 Dr Aniaku stated that “the NCDC remain the only public health institute that has established subnational Public Health Emergency Operations Centre ( PHEOC’s) in 23 states. No African country has done this”.

“Not only that we have established these centres but also strengthen the capacity and capability of the frontline respondents in all the states on the management of COVID-19”

“Recently we concluded a training on how they can respond to this. We have developed our National Pandemic Plan on how to respond to situation like the COVID-19”.

“We are expanding our laboratory capacity in terms of diagnosis because if we can get the contacts of those infected with COVID-19 on time they won’t be able to infect others. So early diagnosis is key and we have the capacity. Presently various states are taking ownership by building isolation centres”

“The leadership of NCDC is such a person that is open to advice and people. He believes in hard work and doing the appropriate thing”.

“The same thing is applicable to the Commissioner of Health in Lagos state. The government of Lagos State has being so responsive and we encourage the people to appreciate the good work and cooperate with government directives” he advised.

Dr Hilary Ozoh, Director Communication for Development, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also decried the constant barrage of fake news due to quick development of new cases of COVID-19. Urging media practitioners on the need to be constantly up to date with information dissemination otherwise.

He also advised health correspondents to be careful of the infodemic nature of reporting as the excessive amount of rumours concerning the COVID-19 problem such that information are altered at almost every minutes and this make reporting at times inaccurate.

Dr Ozoh also decried the issue of stigmatization in various forms namely people, countries, ethnicity mostly attributed to the online media.

He also stated that the creation of fear with the tone, way and manner the issue of COVID-19 were been reported could create fear among the populace.

He noted that the role of the media is critical against the backdrop of earlier mentioned and stated that “a lot of decision that people make either in the public sector, as an individual, family ditto organization tends to be shaped to a large extent by the media”.

“Let’s take the simple issue on restriction of movement, because the media have magnify the necessity of this, most of the decision whether we need to restrict are in response to the prominence and importance given to those issues by the media”.

“Therefore it’s important to note that what you recognise as content, drive decision making. Even for the private institution to beginning to make contributions to the outbreak it was what they received from the media that informed their decision of the correct and proper thing to do”.

He also stated that “let’s take for example the stay at home order by the government, the prominence people take to the decision depend largely on how the media report it”.

“The virus has necessitated lot of behavioural change like social distancing or restriction of movement. It’s important the media be a significant contributor to effect the change in behaviour to be able to address the issue of the outbreak” emphasised by the UNESCO representative

He alluded that “as part of human right access to information is vital and it’s critical that people get information to be able to survive this period. So the media have a vital role to ensure that people have access to the right information to stay safe and alive. To know what to do to stay alive”.

“So as a source to information, providing access to information that would help people to survive, that is the basic primary duty of the media in any emergency or outbreak like this” Dr Ozoh noted.

The COMPASS President while addressing media after the event noted that there’s need for government at all levels to synergise with community members to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus that has ravaged not only Nigeria but the world at large through the provision of face masks, hand gloves, sanitisers and other protective materials.

“It’s sacrosanct we stop the spread of the pandemic coronavirus and the best way to curb it aside from the stay at home we also need to make adequate provision for all the needed protective materials as we all observe the required social distancing”.

“As you may know, in social distancing you have to keep at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing”.
“When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease”.

“Not only that, the general public must also be well enlightened on precautionary measures because it’s one thing to provide the materials, it’s another for people to adhere strictly to the precautionary measures”.

“For instance, when the state government made a pronouncement that the residents must stay at home, some were still seen attending social gatherings and what have you. It’s totally wrong! That’s ignorance on the part of those who flouted the sit-at-home order” he lamented.

“Imagine the state government having sent out security operatives to monitor the situation far and near. Even, some people still attended churches despite the warning. Must people be forced to comply with what they know is inimical to them?

“Some even claimed that the virus is not real and did not only ignore the precautions but went as far as creating incoherent issues that could endanger others”.

However, Aderinola never hesitated to pour encomiums on Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration especially Dr Akin Abayomi, the Health Ministry team and some other federal agencies for swift response and proficiently handling the coronavirus outbreak at this critical moment giving all the support where and when necessary.

“We give thumbs-up to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for making it a point of duty to salvage the situation at the quickest time having to save millions of lives in the state not leaving out Lagos State Ministry of Health (LSMH), Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and all other agencies for doing their best in ensuring all the coronavirus victims are given unreserved attention and care” he alluded.

Aderinola thereafter, pledged the continue support of COMPASS members to government efforts in the area of public enlightenment and advocacy so as to judiciously checkmate the virus permanently.

“We have been using the social-media and our various platforms to dispel unwarranted fake news. At this moment we can’t afford the populace to be wrongly informed by mischievous elements using the social media to create unnecessary fear. Maybe to attract traffic to their sites because I can’t phantom the reason behind the wicked act”.

“As Community Media Practitioners we are closer to our respective communities so it’s our responsibility to ensure our communities get the right information especially on governments efforts”.

“Already aside from our various platforms namely print,, electronic and social media our members have created over two-hundred WhatsApp groups across Lagos communities with major stakeholders as members of the platforms so as to help in advocacy and enlightenments in support of the local, state and federal governments efforts in curbing the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 ravaging the world” Aderinola concluded.

 

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