MONROVIA, LIBERIA-The Ministry of Health, through its Communication and Promotion Unit and partners, has concluded a three-day communication and information system management training for media practitioners on the Health Security Project (HeSP) in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.

The training is aimed at preventing the spread of misinformation during public health crises and ensuring the public receives accurate, timely, and life-saving information.

The HeSP is a regional health security project aimed at enhancing regional collaboration and health system capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to health emergencies in participating countries.

Deputy Communication Director at the Ministry, Amadu Bah, providing the overview, said,” The training also aimed at preventing the spread of misinformation during public health crises and ensuring the public receives accurate, timely, and life-saving information”.

Mr. Bah outlined the objectives of the Liberia Health Security project, including improving Liberia’s capacity to detect, prevent, and respond to disease outbreaks, strengthening national systems to withstand public health emergencies.

Others are fostering regional collaboration for transboundary disease surveillance and response, and enhancing community engagement and awareness on health security measures.

Speaking on behalf of the national Public Health Institute of Liberia, the Communication Director, Joseph Weah, underscored the role of the media in the one health approach for the implementation of the Health Security Project (HeSP).

He said,” Without the involvement of the media, much cannot be achieved in terms of telling the stories to the people”.

Mr. Weah emphasized that with the growing wave of public health emergencies, it is important that trainings of such nature are provided for the media to enhance their reporting on health issues.

Making remarks on behalf of the health minister, Dr. Louis Kpoto, the communications Director, Augustus Walker, urged the participants to make use of the knowledge gained to report accurately.

He said,” The ministry remains committed to building the capacity of the journalist and appreciates the partners for the level of support to the Ministry of Health”.

The project is being funded by the World Bank with coordinating support from the West Africa Health Organization.

The initiative comprises five components, including prevention of health emergencies, support detection of health emergencies, health emergency response, project management and institutional capacity, and the contingent emergency component.

Liberia is implementing the Health Security Program in Western and Central Africa under phase one of the project in Guinea and Cabo Verde.

These interventions, health officials say, are expected to reduce the spread and mortality of infectious diseases and ensure faster and more effective outbreak response at the national and local levels.

The training brought together about fifty journalists from across the countries, including representatives from collaborating ministries and agencies.