Health ministry drills media on measles and rubella
BOKANG MOSHOESHOE and
LINEO MALATALIANA
BEREA – As part of its proactive approach to public health education, the Ministry of Health, through its Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), is conducting a targeted media training workshop in Berea, aimed at equipping journalists and media professionals with accurate and comprehensive knowledge about measles and rubella (MR).
The training workshop, which commenced earlier this week, brings together members of the press from various print, broadcast, and online platforms.
The goal is to empower media personnel with the necessary tools and understanding to accurately inform the public, debunk common myths, and support the national MR vaccination campaign set to be rolled out in the coming weeks.
The ministry’s decision to involve the media is rooted in its belief that the media plays a pivotal role in influencing public perception and behaviour, particularly in matters of health.
By providing factual, science-based information in an accessible manner, journalists become key allies in the fight against vaccine-preventable diseases.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, a representative from the EPI department, Abobo Francis, emphasized the critical need for timely and responsible reporting that they are at a point where misinformation and vaccine hesitancy pose significant threats to public health and that through this workshop, they aim to ensure that the media is well-informed and capable of amplifying accurate messages that will safeguard our communities.
Measles and rubella are both highly contagious viral diseases that can lead to severe complications, particularly in children. While measles can result in pneumonia, blindness, and even death, rubella is especially dangerous for pregnant women, as it can cause miscarriage or serious birth defects in unborn babies.
Despite the availability of safe and effective vaccines, both diseases continue to pose public health threats in various parts of the world, including Lesotho. Outbreaks have been reported in neighbouring countries, prompting increased vigilance and preventive measures from the Ministry of Health.
The media training workshop covers a wide range of topics, including the epidemiology of measles and rubella, the importance of vaccination, common misconceptions and how to address them, ethical health reporting, and strategies for community engagement.
Journalists are also being trained on how to use storytelling to humanize public health messaging and make it more relatable to diverse audiences.
Participants have welcomed the initiative, highlighting its importance in enhancing their reporting skills and deepening their understanding of public health issues.
“As journalists, we are often at the forefront of information dissemination. It is important that we are well-equipped with correct facts to avoid spreading fear or confusion,” said one of the participating reporters Katleho Matamane.
The workshop also provides a platform for open dialogue between health experts and the media, allowing journalists to ask questions, clarify doubts, and discuss challenges they face in covering health-related stories.
With the national vaccination campaign against measles and rubella set to begin soon, the Ministry of Health hopes that an informed and engaged media will help drive positive public response and ensure high vaccination coverage, particularly among children aged nine months to 5 years the primary target group for the campaign.
As the nation prepares to roll out this critical health intervention, the role of the media has never been more vital.
Armed with factual knowledge and effective communication tools, journalists now stand ready to serve not only as informers but also as advocates for health and well-being in their communities.
Meanwhile, the country is gearing for mass vacinations starting October for both health challenges.
Both Measles and Rubella are contagious viral infections that portray the same cardinal signs and symptoms; a rash, cough, fever and red eyes.
Abobo said measles is the more aggressive form of the infections, which affects mostly children under the age of five.
He noted that however the infection rate decreases with age.
Rubella is said to be a milder variant of the infections, what makes this form interesting is that it can affect women in pregnancy.
“If a woman contracts the Rubella in the first three months of pregnancy, she is likely to give birth to a health child or a child born with Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) but chances of this decrease if the infection is contracted later in pregnancy,” Abobo said.
This media engagement by the ministry is aimed at empowering and collaborating to formulate massaging that is accurate, debunks common myths and supports the national MR vaccination campaign.
Contrary to popular belief, MR is not yet at outbreak status but due to the visible gap between MR1 dose vaccinations and MR2 dose, there is a significant chance that immunisation is not at the required 90 percent and this can lead to an outbreak without the initiation of a campaign.
“Failure to vaccinate and vaccination failure,” Abobo said as he showed that these are the only reasons why a country may experience an outbreak.
By right the Ministry of Health is supposed to reach a 95 percent immunisation through routine administration of under-five immunisation and at that stage there would be no need for a campaign, however the health care system is faced with challenges that hinder it from achieving the goal.
