By: Bashir Hassan Abubakar
A Media-based Civil Society Organisation (CSO), the Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD), is set to partner with the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) project at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, to strengthen evidence-based reporting on child health and mortality and promote the use of research findings in public health advocacy.
The partnership is aimed at equipping journalists with the knowledge and skills required to report accurately on child health issues, interpret scientific and medical research findings, and translate complex public health information into simple and understandable stories that can influence policy decisions and improve community awareness.
Speaking during an advocacy visit to the CHAMPS office, J4PD Executive Director, Elizabeth Kah, said the organisation believes the media has a critical role to play in improving health outcomes by providing accurate, timely and evidence-based information to the public.
She explained that the proposed collaboration would focus on building the capacity of journalists, strengthening communication between researchers and the media, and ensuring that scientific evidence generated through CHAMPS is effectively disseminated to policymakers, development partners and communities in a language they can easily understand.
According to her, improved media engagement would not only enhance public understanding of child health challenges but also encourage informed decision-making, promote accountability and support advocacy for policies and interventions that reduce preventable child deaths.
Responding, the Principal Investigator of CHAMPS in Bauchi, Dr. Bashir Farouk Mohammed, welcomed the initiative and described the media as an indispensable partner in translating scientific evidence into meaningful public action.
He explained that CHAMPS is a Gates Foundation-supported global surveillance network operating in eight countries across Africa and Asia, where it investigates the causes of child deaths and stillbirths using advanced diagnostic techniques, including minimally invasive tissue sampling and laboratory analysis.
Dr. Mohammed noted that unlike routine death reporting, CHAMPS seeks to determine the exact biological and medical causes of deaths among children under five years and stillbirths, providing reliable evidence that helps governments and health partners design targeted interventions, strengthen health systems and improve child survival.
He added that findings from the project have continued to guide public health planning, disease prevention strategies and maternal and child health programmes, while contributing to global efforts aimed at reducing preventable child mortality.
The Principal Investigator expressed appreciation for J4PD’s visit and pledged the project’s readiness to collaborate in promoting evidence-based advocacy, enhancing media capacity and ensuring that research findings are communicated in a user-friendly format for policymakers, community leaders and other relevant stakeholders.
Our correspondent reports that the proposed partnership is expected to strengthen public understanding of child health issues, increase the use of scientific evidence in policy formulation, and contribute to improved maternal, newborn and child health outcomes in Bauchi State and beyond.
