By Marilyn King
FREETOWN, June 27 (SALONE TIMES) – Farm Radio International on Thursday 24th June, and Friday 25th June 2022 Held two days vaccine confidence campaign Design Workshop for 20 Radio Stations Journalists In Sierra Leone, at Emergency Operations Centre Communication Unit(EOC) Freetown.
Networking Officer of Farm Radio International Sierra Leone, Mariama Sowe Said Farm Radio is currently implementing in 16 Sub Stations in African countries, including Sierra Leone. She furthered that Farm Radio International is a Canadian International, non-governmental organizations that is focused on using radio to help African Farming Communities and also using radio to promote, Education, Gender, Health Issues among others.
She continued that the vaccine Confidence Campaign is funded by Global Affairs of Canada. Madam Sowe, noted that the main focus is to deliver a three Months Information Campaign, addressing Vaccine Confidence across sixteen Sub Sahara African Countries, to conceptualize and disseminate messages, and Main streaming timely and Gender responsive programs at National levels to reached as many Communities as possible.
She stated that in Sierra Leone, we have 20 Community Radio Stations that have joined their Campaign, and all 20 have representatives in the training that was held on the above date.
She said they have had several trainings and discussions on WhatsApp, and Zoom with Subject matter experts among which they had Health, Gender, and Local Organizations working on Covid, they are Harold Thomas Program Manager of Health Education/ Risk Communications, Lead of Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Patrick Lansana, Risk Communications Lead Directorate of Ministry of Health and Security and Emergencies at the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Yeama Thompson Gender Expert/ Media Sub Lead NACOVERC, Focus 1000.
She concluded that as broadcasters, they are trusted in their Communities, they reached thousands of Men, Women, Boys and Girls through their different programs.
The Risk Communication Officer of WHO, Hassan Bangura, said 1, 891, 466(1038) people are now fully vaccinated. He said the recent update that they have had 59% cases of Male and 41% of Female cases they have had in Sierra Leone. He also said the Media age for all of the cases is 35 years in the region that have contracted the virus, and the Media age for Female 33 years and Male 37 years. He furthered that COVID kills the elderly, which is 64 years.
