The Challenge Initiative, in collaboration with Devcoms and the Lagos State Government, organized a two-day capacity building training for media professionals.
The training was aimed at enhancing efforts to increase family planning awareness throughout the state.
The event, which took place in Lagos, attracted media practitioners from various parts of the state, aiming to equip them with strategies to educate Lagosians on the importance of timing and spacing child births.
The executive director sustainable impact and development initiative (SID), Elizabeth Williams said that family planning is essential to achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including eradicating poverty, improving health and well-being, ensuring quality education, promoting gender equality, and taking action on climate change.
She also highlighted the crucial role of the media in raising awareness, changing public perceptions, and advocating for policy reforms related to family planning. Williams shared strategies and tools for effective media coverage in this field.
Interfaith public Health Advocacy in Lagos state, Ashiru Sariyu tackled the myths and misconceptions surrounding family planning, urging media outlets to use their platforms to correct these false beliefs.
She underscored the need for data-driven reporting and capacity building among media practitioners to enhance the impact of family planning awareness campaigns.
On his part, the State Health Educator, Olusegun Badejo highlighted the Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) strategies, including coordination, advocacy, mass media, community mobilization, and message dissemination. He emphasized the need for collaboration, research, monitoring, and evaluation to ensure the success of family planning initiatives in Lagos.
The training offered a comprehensive framework to empower media professionals to effectively support the state’s family planning efforts, with a strong focus on sustainable development and public health.
