Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Over thirty participants comprised of journalists and members of Civil Society Organizations (CSO) on Saturday received one day training in a bid to sensitize the Local Media Houses on Covid-19 and Covid -19 vaccination.
The training was also geared towards three sessions based on basic orientation on Covid-19 epidemiology and overall situation in South Sudan, social stigma and working with rumors in relation to Covid-19 and facts
on Covid-19 vaccine and status of vaccination in South Sudan. In his opening remarks, Juma Francis, the acting chairperson for Association of Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS) said
that the Media was crucial in the face of Covid-19 pandemic. “It is the media that will give right information to the public about Covid-19 as a disease and in regards to Covid funds and
program designed to combat it”, he said. Francis also acknowledged the participants for coming from the media constituency which is represented by AMDISS.
“Media has a role to ask questions for the public interest, since information is key in the Society”, he added.
Mabior Kiir, the chief planning and information officer admitted that the participants were trained on three topics geared to basic understanding of Covid-19 and the Vaccines.
“It is good for Media to know this and have full transformation, since media has to play a pivotal role in making awareness on
these two of vaccines that includes; AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnsons”, he said. Nevertheless, MarialCuir, the Vice Chairperson of Country Coordinator Mechanism (CCM) revealed that Media should give accurate
information to community by correcting misperception about Covid-19. “Those who are generating the data will provide to media and enable them to give accurate information to
different levels of community”, he underscored. The training was organized by Ministry of Health in collaboration CCM with funding from global funds .
