From: Ali Abare, Gombe
Stakeholders in the media and health industries have decried the poor state of health facilities in Gombe State.
The stakeholders made this position known after rising from a five-day workshop on Investigative Journalism and Evidence-based Reporting on Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH).
The training session, organised by Mamaye E4A for practicing journalists drawn from ten media houses operating in Gombe State, held at the Chartwell Hotel in Bauchi from March 13-17.
Participants lamented that poor healthcare delivery in the state has led to the alarming rise in maternal and infant mortality.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the workshop, journalists decried the poor state of health facilities in Gombe State, while urging the state government to address the issue with a view to reducing the high rate of maternal and newborn deaths.
Available statistics indicate that maternal mortality is high globally with 800 women dying every day from pregnancy or childbirth related complications.
Participants also noted that MNH issues are under reported in the state, charging journalists to employ the acquired skills towards bringing about the desired change.
Journalists at the workshop equally agreed that there is need for collaboration in order to improve on the coverage of MNH issues towards drastically reducing high rate of maternal and newborn deaths in Gombe State.
Participants were introduced to news and feature writing, interview techniques, basics of communication and investigative journalism and the use of technology and social media platforms for investigative reporting.