Abiodun Olofe
In a bid to ensure effective public health communication as well as better social media management, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in collaboration with Ekiti State government has organised a four day training Programme for social media focal persons and other relevant stakeholders in the state ministries, parastatals and agencies’ (MDAs).
In his remarks at the opening ceremony, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani, who was represented by the Director, Public Health in the ministry, Dr Abayomi Ibrahim noted that the training was timely as it would help in broadening participants’ skills in infodemic management and knowledge on risk and health communication management.
Dr Filani hinted that there was a serious need to build capacity on information management especially on how to dispell rumours and provide accurate information during epidemiological outbreaks.
In his goodwill message, the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Dr Ifedayo Adetifa who spoke through Mrs Miracle Rufus commended the state government for providing enabling environment for the training as well as its efforts at curtailing the outbreaks of diseases in the state.
He recalled the timely response and intervention of government of the state during the outbreak of pandemics like covid 19, lassa fever, ebola and other deadly diseases in the past.
The NCDC facilitators at the workshop, highlighted the objectives of the training to include developing and Implementing social media strategies for public health communications, monitoring and managing information on social media during an outbreak, disseminating accurate and timely information about the outbreak to the public and strengthening the infodemics management process among others.
The facilitators made robust presentations which include paper presentations, video display, group work and games, questions and answers for better understanding by the participants.
They noted that participants at the training were drawn from the state Ministries of Health, Environment, Agriculture, Information and Values Orientation, Primary Health Care Development Agency, National Orientation Agency, social media influencers and other relevant stakeholders.
Participants at the event appreciated the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Ekiti State government for organizing the training and pledged to make better use of the knowledge acquired during the training.
