By Chioma Obinna
The Health Writers Association of Nigeria, (HEWAN) on Wednesday urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to include health journalists in the newly established Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness, warning that misinformation and public panic could undermine Nigeria’s response to the deadly outbreak ravaging parts of Africa.
The association, however, commended the President for what it described as a “swift and proactive” response to the growing Ebola threat, particularly the approval of a N10 billion emergency intervention fund aimed at strengthening national preparedness.
In a press statement issued in Lagos, HEWAN said the creation of the Presidential Task Force and the release of emergency funding came at a critical moment as the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak continues to spread across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, with at least 349 reported deaths.
The association noted that the World Health Organisation, WHO, had already declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, PHEIC, heightening fears of cross-border transmission due to increasing international travel and porous borders.
In the press statement jointly signed by HEWAN President, Mrs Vivian Ihechu, and Secretary, Mrs. Temitope Obayendo, stressed that Nigeria’s success in containing Ebola in 2014 was largely driven by coordinated risk communication involving trained health journalists.
“Public health crises are fought as much on the airwaves and in print as they are in isolation wards and laboratories,” the association said.
“Without a strategic media pipeline embedded within the highest decision-making body, the fight against a highly contagious virus faces an immediate deficit in public trust and communication velocity.”
The association recalled that during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, health journalists played a frontline role in translating scientific information into simple public messages and countering dangerous misinformation, including the widely circulated but false “saltwater bath” cure.
According to HEWAN, the inclusion of its members in the Presidential Task Force would help the Federal Government sustain accurate public awareness campaigns, combat fake news, and rapidly disseminate life-saving information to rural and urban communities alike.
“Health writers are not passive observers, but essential public health first responders who bridge the gap between scientific containment and civic cooperation,” the statement added.
The group warned that excluding trained health communicators from the task force could create “a dangerous communication gap where misinformation can thrive,” potentially weakening public compliance with preventive measures.
HEWAN further argued that integrating health journalists into the response framework would ensure that the N10 billion intervention fund is backed by a “robust, world-class communication infrastructure” capable of driving nationwide sensitisation.
The association pledged to deploy its nationwide media network in support of the Federal Government’s Ebola preparedness efforts.
“We must act collectively to keep Nigeria safe. Health security is a collaborative habit, and HEWAN stands fully prepared to guarantee that this national intervention achieves absolute success,” the statement said.
Ebola Virus Disease is a severe and often fatal illness transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated animals. Symptoms include fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
