Niger State Commissioner for Secondary and Tertiary Health, Dr. Bello Tukur, has observed that combating health misinformation is everybody's business.
The Commissioner stated this while delivering a keynote address during the health misinformation management fellowship orientation programme, organised by Nigeria Health Watch (NHW) in collaboration with the Niger State Ministry of Primary Healthcare and that of Secondary and Tertiary Health, held at the Guidel Hotel, Minna, on Friday.
He observed that the issue of health misinformation transcends borders, beliefs, and backgrounds, and it affects every life, family, and community in the state and beyond, hence it's everybody's business.
He pointed out that the fight was critical and everybody's business because it jeopardises lives, undermines the very fabric of our healthcare system, and increases health disparities, adding that the fight was not merely a responsibility but a moral imperative because the matter is multi-faceted and cannot be fought by one entity.
He disclosed that, in keeping with the vision of Governor Umaru Bago, to use innovative solutions to move the state forward in all aspects of development, the two state health ministries were collaborating with Nigeria Health Watch to ensure that Nigerlites and Nigerians are well equipped with the tools and knowledge to make informed decisions about their health.
Dr. Tukur, who was represented at the occasion by the director of planning, research, and statistics of the ministry, Pharmacist Hamza Tijjani Yahaya, also revealed that the launch of the Niger State Health Misinformation Management Fellowship was the result of the 2022 project piloted by NHW in combating health misinformation in the state.
Earlier, the state director of public health, Dr. Ibrahim Idris, urged the fellowship members to be good ambassadors of the project and the state by saying and doing the right things.
He also disclosed that the orientation training that they will be engaged in will equip them with the right information to disseminate, urging them to pay attention to the training programme so that they will be better equipped for the task ahead.
Giving an overview of the health misinformation management fellowship programme, the NHW Director of Programmes, Dr. Kemisola Agbaoye, said the fellowship programme is a dynamic and intensive programme designed to address the challenges posed by vaccine hesitancy and the dissemination of false health information.
She explained that the fellowship was a strategic response to the rapid spread of misinformation, which poses a significant threat to public health, and that it was not an isolated endeavour but an integral component of the broader Health Misinformation Management Project.
While appreciating the partnership between NHW and the two health ministries in the state, the NHW Director of Programmes also commended the state governor for creating two ministries to manage the health sector of the state, saying it is a sign of good things that will come to the health sector of the state.
Participants in the event were drawn from the media, faith-based organisations, women and youth groups, as well as market women. The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Niger State Chapter, Comrade Abu Nmadu, was also present at the event.