By Samira Larbie, GNA
Accra, June 6, GNA – Two Chief Reporters at the Ghana News Agency (GNA) have won the maiden edition of the Journalist Network on African Health Award 2024.
Ms Samira Larbie and Ms Linda Naa Deidei Aryeetey emerged as winners of the online/wire service category of the competition.
The two were recognised for their quality of writing and reporting on health issues to advocate for better policies and systems.
Ms Sarah Ofori, a journalist with the Ghana Broadcasting Cooperation (GBC) was adjudged the overall winner in the broadcast category.
The awards organised by PharmAccess Foundation seeks to promote leadership and innovations for sustainable and inclusive financing and delivery of healthcare in Africa.
It also aims to encourage journalists and media practitioners to write more on topics to make inclusive health systems in sub-Saharan Africa a reality.
Mr Francis Kokutse, a renowned journalist and Country Coordinator of the Journalists Network for African Health (JoNAH) handing over the cash prize to the award winners on behalf of Dr Kwasi Baohene, PharmAccess Director for West Africa, said the gesture was a token to the awardees for their self-initiated stories.
He said one of the key strategies that had contributed to increasing democratization processes in sub-Saharan Africa was journalism, adding that media practitioners through their reportage have held governments accountable and raised awareness among the public for change.
Mr Kokutse said it was against this background that the award was introduced and stated that moving forward a network of journalists under the Journalists Network for African Health (JoNAH) would be formed to further deepen the advocacy.
Mr Albert Kofi Owusu, the General Manager of the Ghana News Agency, on behalf of the board and management, expressed appreciation to PharmAccess for the gesture saying that the Agency would count on their assistance to further take staff to the international level.
Ms Larbie and Ms Aryeetey both expressed gratitude to PharmAccess for the honour done them adding that moving forward this would encourage them to work on more self-initiated stories to enhance Ghana’s healthcare system.
PharmAccess, headquartered in the Netherlands works to make inclusive health systems in sub-Saharan Africa a reality by connecting patients and professionals, using data as currency of trust.
GNA