Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.thetidenews.com/article....media practitioners on bird flu&qrColumn=NEWS
UNICEF tasks media practitioners on bird flu
? Sunday, May 25, 2008
The United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), has expressed concern over the spread of Avian Influenza in Nigeria, and called on media practitioners across the country to be more proactive in reporting issues of the disease so as not to create panic situation among the populace.
The body which gave the charge during an interactive session organised for 60 journalists in conjunction with Radio Nigeria, Enugu at Awka recently, appealed to media practitioners to package and present reports concerning the disease in a most friendly manner using the language of the people.
In a communiqu? signed by Mr. Emmanuel Ikoh, Mr. Rex Eze, Mrs. Jenewari Harry-Utomi, Uchechukwu Jiwuaku and Nkwam Uwaoma, UNICEF also called on the federal government to set up Avian Influenza crisis centres in all the 774 local government areas in the country and adequately fund them.
The participants who were drawn form UNICEF A-field office in Enugu equally charged the mass media to be encouraged to develop and implement the integrated communication plan for the prevention and containment of the disease.
They specifically directed media professionals to move away from the news perspective of disseminating information on the disease to developing wide programme formats and production on the disease.
According to the communiqu?, the media should therefore intensify enlightenment on the need for people to avoid contact and eating of sick or dead birds as well as the use of bird droppings as fertiliser in areas of reported outbreak of the disease.
UNICEF also called for increased funding of media houses in the country for effective and sustained campaign on the disease to bring about behavioural change among Nigerians particularly in handling poultry products.
The one-day interactive session which was declared open by Professor Stella Okunna, the Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Culture also featured the presentation of a lecture on the disease by Professor O.C. Ene of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
The participants observed that the outbreak of bird flu has been reported in 25 states out of the 36 states in the country including Abuja in the past three years with a total of 1.3 million birds depopulated.
UNICEF tasks media practitioners on bird flu
? Sunday, May 25, 2008
The United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), has expressed concern over the spread of Avian Influenza in Nigeria, and called on media practitioners across the country to be more proactive in reporting issues of the disease so as not to create panic situation among the populace.
The body which gave the charge during an interactive session organised for 60 journalists in conjunction with Radio Nigeria, Enugu at Awka recently, appealed to media practitioners to package and present reports concerning the disease in a most friendly manner using the language of the people.
In a communiqu? signed by Mr. Emmanuel Ikoh, Mr. Rex Eze, Mrs. Jenewari Harry-Utomi, Uchechukwu Jiwuaku and Nkwam Uwaoma, UNICEF also called on the federal government to set up Avian Influenza crisis centres in all the 774 local government areas in the country and adequately fund them.
The participants who were drawn form UNICEF A-field office in Enugu equally charged the mass media to be encouraged to develop and implement the integrated communication plan for the prevention and containment of the disease.
They specifically directed media professionals to move away from the news perspective of disseminating information on the disease to developing wide programme formats and production on the disease.
According to the communiqu?, the media should therefore intensify enlightenment on the need for people to avoid contact and eating of sick or dead birds as well as the use of bird droppings as fertiliser in areas of reported outbreak of the disease.
UNICEF also called for increased funding of media houses in the country for effective and sustained campaign on the disease to bring about behavioural change among Nigerians particularly in handling poultry products.
The one-day interactive session which was declared open by Professor Stella Okunna, the Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Culture also featured the presentation of a lecture on the disease by Professor O.C. Ene of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
The participants observed that the outbreak of bird flu has been reported in 25 states out of the 36 states in the country including Abuja in the past three years with a total of 1.3 million birds depopulated.