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“In a system approach, COVID-19, Nutrition and Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) are interrelated. COVID-19 is a disruptor of Agriculture and food security and this leads to malnutrition therefore predisposing someone to NCD”. Say Dr Deoraj Caussy, Epidemiologist at the Integrated Epidemiology Solutions in Mauritius.

However, even though fact-checked mass media-based information plays a critical role in strengthening citizens’ resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated health challenges, there exists major information gaps in communicating about the inter- relatedness  between the covid-19  pandemic, nutrition and wellness  in Africa.

In repose to this need and as part of a 7 session’s course to strengthen the capacity of African journalists in effectively communicating about the relationship between COVID-19, nutrition, wellness and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), a second training was organised on July 1st 2021 by ISAAA

AfriCenter, UNESCO Addis Ababa Liaison Office to AU and UNECA, Africacheck/Trifacts. The 2 months course targets African journalists in both mainstream and community media who have been reporting on health issues,

In her opening remarks, Dr Margaret Karembu, Director ISAAA AfriCenter, underscored the importance of communities being cautious of the food they eat, its methods of production and handling, in order to promote good health and wellness. She further noted the increase in incidences of NCDs and called upon journalists and media practitioners to get to the root cause of these NCD and communicate how they exacerbate COVID-19 pandemic. This was reinforced by renown journalists Hope Mfaranga, assistant regional director New Vison Uganda and Kemu Cham Politico newspaper editor from Sierra Leone, who shared sharing their wealth of experience on health reporting in Africa.

UNESCO’s strategy in response to COVID 19 in Africa encourages partnerships, building coalitions and creating synergy. “It is impossible for any single institution to attempt single-handedly to address the daunting challenges facing the continent in relation to the current health crisis and moving into the future” said Dr Yumiko Yokozeki, Director, UNESCO Addis Ababa Liaison Office to AU and UNECA. She further spoke on how Scientific community is at the heart of UNESCO’s response to the pandemic

This regional activity is within the framework of the EU-funded project  and  . This joint effort between UNESCO, science, factchekers and media partners in Africa, is aimed at strengthening capacities of media professionals to report on Covid-19, improve the access of media professionals to verified information on Covid-19 as well as empower African citizens to debunk misinformation, stop spreading rumors on the epidemic and to counter discrimination and hate against those with Covid-19.

For more information on this regional activity, contact Lydia Gachungi, (L.gachungi@unesco,org) 

About the #CoronavirusFacts project: 

Based on the central tenet that information is the opposite of disinformation, the UNESCO project #CoronavirusFacts leverages the pivotal role of freedom of expression and access to information to address information needs in times of COVID-19 and to tackle the massive wave of disinformation which threatens to impact democracy, sustainable development and stability around the world. Funded by the European Union, the project has activities both at the global level, in four regions and in nine countries. It supports professional, diverse and independent media’s capacity to report on the pandemic; strengthens local fact-checking organisations to debunk misinformation; and empowers youth and other citizens to critically process what they read and hear linked to COVID-19 through training in media and information literacy. Due to unprecedented challenges for the media and digital technology sectors, 91�鶹������Ʒ���� created a  of selected responses to COVID-19. 

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