Journalists Become Reproductive Health Advocates in Azerbaijan
In May 2008, the USAID-funded ACQUIRE Project, in collaboration with Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Health (MOH), conducted a two-day seminar for journalists on reproductive health. The seminar, entitled “Media Advocacy for Reproductive Health” was designed to raise awareness among journalists about a wide range of reproductive health issues that affect women, families and ultimately the health of a nation. The end goal was to inspire journalists to actively write about family planning and other health topics to inform the public and contribute to improvements in reproductive health.
Seventeen journalists from eight regions participated in the seminar. Guest speakers included parliamentarians, senior MOH officials, US Embassy Public Affairs Officer, gynecologists, local religious leaders and volunteer community peer educators who addressed a wide range of reproductive health topics. Using a press conference format, speakers engaged journalists in lively discussions on topics ranging from community health partnerships and reproductive rights, to the National Strategy for Reproductive Health and “Islam, Culture, and Reproductive Health.”
Journalists received technical information about the health benefits of family planning, learned about global and national policy initiatives to improve reproductive health, and discussed how myths and misinformation put the health of women and families at risk.
Participants responded positively to the call for expanded media involvement in raising the public’s awareness of reproductive health issues. “I wasn’t aware that society needs the media so much,” one journalist remarked. Another participant convinced of the importance of improving public health agreed, “Everyone needs community education.” Journalists proposed ideas for future news articles on reproductive health at the close of the seminar.
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