Improvement on Health Reporting: ANRS_Cameroon Trains Over 15 Journalists

Over 15 Journalists drawn from the ten regions of Cameroon have benefited from a two day workshop offered by France Recherche Nord and Sud SIDA – HIV Hépatites (ANRS). This workshop, that took place at its centre in Yaoundé on July 3 and July 4, 2021 centered mainly around health research and its ethical norms, as well as the state and evolvement of the covid-19 pandemic in the country.

Site ANRS- Cameroon, the organiser of the atelier is a French clinical research center based in the Central Hospital of Yaoundé since 2005. It in specialised in research on HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis.

The Institution organised a two day workshop to enlighten media men and women on the realities of health and science research in Cameroon. This is following the rate at which media practitioners are propagating false information as far as health in country is concerned. “The information media men are dishing out is not right, and for that reason, the visibility of our work is not good. 90% of information disseminated by them id false and they are unfortunately the ones that go viral. The presentation and visibility of research is so ironical at the level of public opinion, at the level of public authorities, communities and others.

The objective of this workshop is therefore to to fill that gap by bringing to communicators some indispensable basic notions and knowledge on research, ethics and good practice of the laboratory.

In a nutshell, we want to educate them on a number of things that will promote the vision of research in heath. It is also to ameliorate the image of research and its presentation to the public and to capitalize on what research brings to the Cameroonian community and to the world at large,” Dr. Col Eitel Mpoudi Ngolle, vice coordinator of ANRS recalled at the opening ceremony.

Among other issues, participants of this workshop were notably taught on research ethics in Cameroon, and the evolution of the covid-19.

Prof. Okomo Marie Claire, a biochemist, revealed that research in Cameroon is not yet at its best, but that it is evolving impressively. It is evident with the creating  of the CNERSH (Comités Éthique de la Recherche pour la Santé Humaine et Fonctionement au Cameroun).

This Committee which is currently operational in the city of Yaoundé has as mission to inform, sensitize and train actors involved in human heath, ensure the respect of ethical role and the protection of research participants, ensure the reveal of results of a research to participants, ensure the putting in place of committees to protect the rights of patients in the case of a clinical test and to signal to the minister of Public Health in case of any irregularities in a research work.

The four fundamental principles of participants in any research work are; the respect of autonomy, beneficence, non-malficence and justice.

Given the present context of the covid-19 pandemic, Prof. Calice Talom Yomgne reminded Journalists on the need to disseminate the right information about the pandemic, thereby aiding the population to adopt behaviours that can help limit the spread of the virus. This remains the primary preventive measure to curb the spread of the Virus, he said.

To prof. Calice Talom, though the government has failed in its response strategy by neglecting the opinions of the masses in its response plan, measures are being put in place to make sure that every Cameroonian can be self-tested for the virus in the months to come.

An in-depth research on the AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Spoutnik V and the Johnson and Johnson vaccines have shown that these variants are all effective at different dimensions, and remain the principal cure to the virus.

As far as the secondary effects of these vaccines are concerned, Sarkis Pierre Alexandre, a medical student explained that all efficient vaccines must create a sight effect as a proof for its effectiveness. Otherwise, the vaccine will be ineffective.

Cameroonians are thus urged to shun all fears and social media rumours and go in for the vaccine. To prof. Marie José Essi, Cameroonian will have to learn how to accept and live with the virus, just like other diseases.

At the end of the workshop, the main facilitator and organiser of the event, Marie Varloteaux reminded participants about the need to spread the right information following ethical norms. She invited the media practitioners to make a difference with the knowledge acquired, and never to hesitate to approach ANRS- Cameroon if the need arises.

Participants expressed satisfaction and gratitude at the end of the session, as the wished it could be extended. “I must say that I am fully satisfied. I’ve learnt a lot on many health issues i did not know anything about, particularly in the field of medical research and covid-19. I am returning to my media house to make a difference, and to share the acquired knowledge with my peers,” lauded a journalist from the West region.

It should be recalled that this workshop, which took place in the strict respect of barrier measures was to call media practitioners to order. It envisages to organise a similar event in the months ahead.

Ingrid KENGNE