The Niger State government, in collaboration with Nigeria Health Watch (NHW), has inaugurated the cohort 1 track two of the Niger State Health Misinformation Management Fellowship programme.
In his keynote address at the inauguration on Friday at Haske Luxury Hotel, Minna, the state Commissioner for Primary Healthcare, Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim Dangana, emphasized that a single piece of misinformation, whether intentional or unintentional, can erode decades of progress in public health.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Abdullahi Usman Imam, the Commissioner noted that health misinformation undermines the efforts of health practitioners to promote healthy communities and can even lead to fatalities. He highlighted the timeliness of the fellowship programme, given the global challenge of safeguarding public health not only from diseases but also from rapidly spreading misinformation.
The Commissioner informed the fellows that the programme aims to equip them to be defenders of the truth and to recognize where they might unintentionally contribute to the problem they are trying to solve. He expressed gratitude to Nigeria Health Watch and its team for their commitment to combating health misinformation in Niger State.
Dr. Junaidu Inuwa, Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics at the state ministry of primary healthcare, pointed out the numerous risks and hazards within the public health space caused by misinformation. He emphasized the reliance on the fellows to combat these issues and urged participants to engage fully in the training to apply their knowledge in their communities.
Mr. Abara Erim, the programme manager of NHW, explained that the second track of the fellowship programme targets health service providers, including doctors, nurses, midwives, traditional birth attendants, and traditional medicine vendors. The programme aims to enhance their ability to discharge their duties effectively by providing accurate information and countering misinformation.
Mr. Erim stressed that accurate information is crucial for health service providers to perform their duties effectively. He noted that misinformation hinders effective service delivery, hence the need for the training programme to address this challenge and ensure public health safety.
The goal of NHW, according to Mr. Erim, is to ensure that Nigerians have access to accurate information to make informed health decisions. This is the core mission they are working hard to achieve.
Mr. Sunday Oko, the project officer, provided an overview of the fellowship programme, sharing its vision and mission to build a network of individuals dedicated to combating health misinformation.
Mrs. Habiba Lawal, a certified Infodemic Manager and one of the facilitators, expressed her anticipation of seeing the fellows apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills to combat health misinformation in their workplaces and communities.
The 18 fellows are expected to carry out activities over the next two months to reduce the rate of health misinformation in the state, leveraging the trust of their communities and clients.