Monrovia – Liberian health reporters have expressed delight over the regular media training and information exchange forum organized by the Partnership for Research on Ebola Virus in Liberia, PREVAIL.
PREVAIL is a joint Liberia-US clinical research program established in 2014 in response to a request by former Liberian Health Minister, Dr. Walter Gwenigale to then US Health and Human Services Secretary, Sylvia Burwell to assist Liberia develop vaccines and therapeutics to tackle Ebola.
The reporters drawn from various media institutions in the country spoke on Friday, August 11, 2017 at the PREVAIL headquarters at the JFK Medical Center during a one-day media training for health reporters to enhance science communication and their understanding of the PREVAIL research program.
The reporters particularly praised PREVAIL for providing them with the requisite skills and periodic updates on the research program.
They said PREVAIL is the only organization that continues to enhance the work of health reporters in Liberia by conducting training on health sensitive reporting, news gathering, facts checking and ways to guiding against ethical transgressions.
The reporters urged PREVAIL to continue conducting training that will sharpen their skills in health reporting considering the fact that on-going PREVAIL research studies require a very sensitive and factual reporting.
“One of the key ways the media can make a positive contribution towards this research is by constantly brushing up our knowledge about emerging trends in the PREVAIL research studies” Emmanuel Wedee-Conway, an Editor at the Heritage Newspaper told representatives of PREVAIL at the training.
His comments resonated well with the rest of the reporters in the program who believe the more they get adequate information about the research; the better they will report from an ‘informed’ perspective that will help to change any negative public perceptions.
The one day training focused on the on-going Ebola preventive vaccines study otherwise known as PREVAIL-5 taking place at the Redemption Hospital in the Borough of New Kru Town.
PREVAIL 5 is jointly being conducted by Liberia and Guinea under the auspices of the West African Regional Consortium.
Sierra Leone will follow later this year.
Speaking earlier, the Clinical Communications Manager at PREVAIL, Hassan Kiawu reaffirmed his institution’s commitment to doing regular training for the media in a bid to get the right kind of messages out about the various Ebola research studies.
“We at PREVAIL feel that we need not wait for something to happen before conducting training”.
That’s why we’re providing the much needed visibility through these kinds of media interactions and by providing regular updates on our work”, noted Mr. Kiawu.
Also speaking, the Co-Lead on Social Mobilization and Communication, SMC Mr. Barthalomew Wilson urged reporters to always check their facts before reporting.
Mr. Wilson said their writing can either enhance or break any well-meaning effort especially research geared toward finding a global solution to Ebola.
Mr. Wilson provided updates on the vaccine study, which seeks to enrol about 5000 participants including children between the ages of 1-17 years old.
The current phase of the vaccine is enrolling children between ages of 12-17.
The second phase will enrol those above one year old to 11 years old once the data in the first phase proves safe in children.
The first vaccine study conducted in 2015 enrolled only adults.
The rationale is to find out whether the vaccine is also effective in children as they are found to be in adults and how long it lasts in the body.
Sick people, breastfeeding mothers, pregnant women, Ebola Survivors and people who have taken other vaccines within a month’s time are not allowed to participate in the PREVAIL vaccine study.
Similar messages were echoed by PREVAIL Advocacy Lead, Joseph Boye-Cooper when he appeared on the Power FM/TV afternoon talk show Powerline on the same day in Monrovia.
As well as Messrs. Kiawu and Barthalomew, Mr. Cooper also highlighted major achievements of PREVAIL.
They include local and international human capacity training programs for Liberian staff at PREVAIL and the Liberia Institute for Biomedical Research, LIBR, employment opportunities for both Ebola survivors and non-survivors, infrastructure development and providing medical supplies to various health facilities in Liberia including Grand Kru County.
Also on Friday at a community engagement attended by some 300 residents of Peace Island in Congo Town, the capacity crowd expressed delight over the information sharing and updates sessions.
The community engagement is being conducted under the pillar headed by Ambassador Julie Endee and the Liberia Crusaders for Peace.
The residents were particularly upbeat about the work of PREVAIL especially the vaccine and Ebola Natural History studies which are intended to find vaccines and therapeutics on Ebola.
They promised to spread the message to their community and to encourage people to enroll in the study.
“We know what Ebola did to us in Liberia and to see us jam pack this hall two hours before your start time is an indication of our interest and appreciation for what PREVAIL is doing to find vaccines that will prevent our people and the world from dying during an Ebola outbreak”, remarked Richard B. Smith, Co-chairman of the Peace Island Community.
Mr. Smith told the gathering the more they get these kinds of information, the more they will appreciate their Ebola Survivors and live with them freely in the community.
Other residents of the community including Pastor Alex Vlee and Youth leader Georgia Toah at the program called on their fellow compatriots and other community members to embrace the research study because it has the potential to put Liberia on the world map as far as public health is concerned.
Earlier, Bartholomew Wilson, SMC Co-Lead who served as key speaker, said community acceptance of the work of PREVAIL has been exceptional.
Wilson said unlike in 2015 when there was negative perceptions and myths about the first vaccine study, the PREVAIL-5 has been highly welcomed and accepted in the communities owing to the model of engagement adopted by the joint Liberia-US clinical research partnership.
Much of the success of the study has been largely attributed to the SMC’s community engagement and awareness activities being carried out by the Liberia Crusaders for Peace, a partner of PREVAIL.
The LCP has recruited and deployed over 300 young people including survivors to work as community mobilizers and communicators aimed at garnering public participation in the various Ebola research studies being conducted by PREVAIL in Liberia.