Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Health, assisted by WHO with funding and expertise, provided training in Ouagadougou for 25 nationally prominent radio show hosts. The objective of the training was to educate these key public information agents on risk communications and community engagement in response to the present pandemic. The training was designed to help participants provide relevant answers to their listeners in order to fight against rumors and erroneous information that sometimes circulate in communities. Participants were reminded of their important role to persuade the public to adhere to the observance of the measures recommended by the experts and government to control COVID-19 in Burkina Faso. Depending on their objectives, participants chose from a series of presentations that addressed issues to help them serve as able communicators in the fight against COVID-19 through their media outlets. Experts from the Ministry of Health and WHO Risk Communications and Community Engagement teams facilitated the training and were available to answer questions. As a recognition of the training’s value, participants have since requested experts from WHO to help them lead interactive programs on issues related to COVID-19 that are of highest interest among Cameroonian radio audiences.
Read the AFRO/WHO story on training Burkina Faso radio announcers to help fight COVID-19