By Philip Yatai

The Save the Children International (SCI), the world’s leading independent organisation for children has trained journalists on health advocacy to strengthen health systems in Kaduna State.

Mr Farauk Abdulkadir, the organisation’s Advocacy and Communication Coordinator in the state, said at the opening of the training in Zaria on Tuesday, that the goal was to generate public discourse around the health sector.

Abdulkadir said Save the Children International was implementing a four-year health and nutrition advocacy project, funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to strengthen health systems in the state.

He added that the project was designed to improve health financing, accountability and policy environment.

He explained that the project was built around Health Systems Strengthening (HSS), with a thrust to deliver results for women, adolescents and children, especially those living in hard-to-reach communities.

According to him, the media plays an active role in information dissemination, awareness and campaigns, as well as setting agenda for public discourse.

He explained that the training was to get the buy-in and support of the media to influence government actions in the health sector through advocacy journalism for sustainability.

“After the training, we hope to set up a State Media Working Group (SMWG) with the mandate to lead traditional and online media conversations on the health sector with focus on systems strengthening.

“The SMWG is also expected to increase the voice of children on issues around child survival learning and protection against all forms of deprivations, abuse and child rights abuse.

“The group will also increase the voice on children on equal participation and inclusion in all issues affecting children in Kaduna state,” he said.

Mr Kunle Olawoyin, SCI’s Information and External Communication Specialist, said that save the children was an international organisation, working to support and protect children worldwide.

Olawoyin added that the organisation has been working in Nigeria since 2001 and reached 21 states with focus on health, nutrition, child survival, education and child sensitive social protection.

“Around the world, too many children still start life at a disadvantage simply because of who they are and where they are from.

“Save the children has a bold ambition to creating a world in which all children survive, have the chance to learn and are protected from abuse, neglect and exploitation,” he said. (NAN)