The African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) has welcomed the announcement by the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO) that Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi will take part in a WHO-coordinated pilot implementation programme that will make the world’s first malaria vaccine available in selected areas, beginning 2018.
AMMREN, in a press statement to mark World Malaria Day today, Tuesday 25 April, said it sees the introduction of the vaccine in the three countries as an opportunity to step up advocacy directed to whipping up public support for the malaria elimination agenda and specifically for the vaccine.
The Network has, therefore, called for the training and equipping of journalists to promote accurate and effective dissemination of information on the vaccine and other tools to ensure that media content on the vaccine is well packaged and disseminated in a timely and accurate manner, nationally and globally, building the capacity of scientists and researchers to communicate effectively with journalists from data generated from malaria research, tools and the vaccine and facilitating widespread awareness of the RTS,S vaccine, particularly among family and community members to foster accurate understanding of the potential risks and benefits of the RTS,S malaria vaccine and the need for continued use of other malaria control measures.
Below is the full statement:
World Malaria Day Press Statement by the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN)
The African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) welcomes the announcement by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO) on 24 April 2017, that Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi will take part in a WHO-coordinated pilot implementation programme that will make the world’s first malaria vaccine available in selected areas, beginning in 2018.
According to the WHO, the injectable vaccine RTS,S, was developed to protect young children from the most deadly form of malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum and it will be assessed in the pilot programme as a complementary malaria control tool that could potentially be added to the core package of WHO-recommended measures for malaria prevention.
AMMREN is a registered non-governmental organization made up of a network of African journalists and scientists working together towards the control and elimination of malaria. It draws its membership from 10 countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania and The Gambia.
In 2006, when AMMREN was established it worked closely with the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA) to roll out an advocacy programme on clinical trials. The MCTA was a project of the INDEPTH Network set up to champion clinical trials and capacity development in Africa with the support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which enabled the conduct of the largest phase 3 malaria vaccine trial on the RTS, S experimental drug.
AMMREN sustained its advocacy project in malaria and on the RTS, S through the production of its flagship magazine, Eyes on Malaria, newspaper publications, radio programmes and documentaries devoted to giving visibility to various projects including the Malarial Clinical Trials Alliance and the vaccine.
Since 2007, AMMREN members, through its 10-member countries, followed the vaccine trials in Africa, visiting the 11 trial sites and reporting extensively on the project to sustain public interest in the final outcome of the malaria vaccine research that could lead to the acceptance of the vaccine when finally licensed. Five editions of our magazine specifically focused on the RTS,S vaccine. Editions of the magazine can be accessed at www.eyesonmalaria.org
In line with its mission to sustain advocacy on malaria through a mix of old and new tool, AMMREN realized the need to actively engage various stakeholders in a Post – 2015 renewed agenda towards the elimination of malaria and the acceptance of the experimental RTS,S malaria vaccine.
The Network therefore convened a stakeholders’ meeting in June, 2015 at the Bellagio Conference Centre in Italy to develop and implement a strategic media framework for Africa under a Media Advocacy Project (MAP) to consolidate the gains made so far in the fight against malaria whilst positioning African communities to accept the RTS,S vaccine.
This was the first time a diverse set of African media practitioners were proactively leading preparations towards a vast shift in the malaria elimination agenda on the continent by stepping up advocacy to recapture missing opportunities of the malaria elimination agenda.
AMMREN therefore sees the introduction of the vaccine in the three countries as an opportunity to step up advocacy directed to whipping up public support for the malaria elimination agenda and specifically for the vaccine. The Network is also calling on for the following actions:
The training and equipping of journalists to promote accurate and effective dissemination of information on the vaccine and other tools to ensure that media content on the vaccine is well packaged and disseminated in a timely and accurate manner, nationally and globally
Building the capacity of scientists and researchers to communicate effectively with journalists from data generated from malaria research, tools and the vaccine
Facilitating widespread awareness of the RTS,S vaccine, particularly among family and community members to foster accurate understanding of the potential risks and benefits of the RTS,S malaria vaccine and the need for continued use of other malaria control measures.
AMMREN has over the years, laid a solid foundation for African journalists to partner with scientists and stakeholders in the fight to kick out malaria from the continent. Over the year, the skills of its journalists across Africa have also been sharpened to tell the malaria story as well as the RTS, S malaria vaccine story.
The Network is therefore using this opportune time to call on all stakeholders to join it to carry out a sustained media advocacy project on the malaria elimination and to push for public acceptance of the RTS,S vaccine.
Join us to kick malaria out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Signed:
Dr. Charity Binka
AMMREN Executive Secretary
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
