The World Health Organisation (WHO) in partnership with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has organised a Harmonised Health Facility Assessment (HHFA) training for journalists in Accra.
The training precedes the release of the Health Facility Quality Care Survey Report.
It was intended to equip journalists with the appropriate skills on how to interpret key findings and disseminate relevant information effectively.
The HHFA Quality of Care assessment focuses on how health providers adhere to established standards during the delivery of service nationwide.
Speaking at the training, the Programme Management Officer for WHO Ghana, Dr. Uzoma Ajebo, explained that the HHFA training aims to provide journalists with an overview of the HHFA process, introduce the quality of care module, as well as help ensure that key messages are clearly understood and accurately communicated to the general public.
According to Dr. Ajebo, the media plays an important role in the dissemination of information to the public as well as influencing policy makers.
“As members of the media, your role is essential, you are the bridge between technical evidence and public understanding. How this evidence is reported and discussed will influence how policy makers, professionals and communities perceive and respond to the findings,” she said.
She added that the findings represent a major effort by the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service and partners to generate a robust evidence on the quality of clinical care.
The Strategic Health Information Officer for WHO, Mr. Dominic Atweam, mentioned that this survey is Ghana’s first national full census of all regional hospitals, district hospitals, network of hubs, all polyclinics, samples of health centres and CHIP compounds, including private facilities.
The WHO Communications Officer, Abdul-lahie Abdul-Rahim Naa, urged journalists to report on facts and reduce sensationalism in the course of reporting.
BY Florence Asamoah Adom