Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, will organise the Merck Health Media Training on October 31 at Le Centre International de conferences Abdou DIOUF (CICAD) in Dakar, Senegal.
The training program is a part of 'Merck More than a Mother' community awareness initiative and is being organised for the first time in Senegal for the media representatives.
"I am delighted to initiate this important training session as I strongly believe that media plays a significant to influence our society to create a cultural shift. It has the capacity and ability to break the stigma around infertility in the community," explained Dr. RashaKelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of Merck More than a Mother.
The training will be addressed by stalwarts of media and top infertility experts. It will also provide a great opportunity for the journalists to meet the experts and also to network with each other and work as a unit to eradicate the stigma around infertility in Senegal and rest of Africa. It will be attended by journalists working for print, TV, radio and online media.
"The Merck Health Media Training program will focus on the international standards and media ethics for reporting sensitive issues like infertility in Africa. It is designed to benefit the journalists in understanding the infertility issues in African communities and to learn the best media practices to cover such issues." Dr. RashaKelej added.
Merck Foundation will also announce the call for application for "Merck More than a Mother" 'Media Recognition Awards' 2018 from Senegal and rest of Africa. The awards were launched in 2017 with the aim to emphasise the role of media in enhancing the public engagement and understanding of infertility stigma and the need to change its social perception in African communities. The winners were awarded at an award ceremony conducted earlier this year in Nairobi, Kenya.
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The Merck Health Media Training is be organised on the side-lines of fifth edition of "Merck Africa Asia Lumniary" being organised in Dakar, Senegal on October 30-31, under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Senegal Macky Sall and the First Lady of Senegal, Marieme Faye Sall, and in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Senegal.
It will be attended by more than 450 healthcare providers, policy makers, academia and researchers from over 45 English and French-speaking African and Asian countries. The objective is to improve disease management, early detection, and prevention, build healthcare and scientific research capacity and improve access to innovative and equitable healthcare solutions across the continent.
Merck Foundation conducted its first Health Media Training for English speaking media representatives earlier this year in Nairobi. The program saw attendance from journalists from over 200 journalists from various African countries like Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Gambia, Namibia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Ethiopia, Botswana, Liberia, Cameroon, Burundi, Malawi, Mauritius, Zambia, and Sierra Leona.
Merck Foundation will also organise a similar training program for media representatives from French-speaking countries in Mauritius in December 2018.