The Health Writers Association of Nigeria (HEWAN) has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to include health journalists in the newly established Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness. Without them, the group warned, misinformation and public panic could undermine Nigeria's response to the deadly outbreak.
In a statement issued Wednesday in Lagos, HEWAN commended the President for approving a N10 billion emergency intervention fund and creating the task force. But the association argued that the fight against Ebola is fought on the airwaves and in print as much as in isolation wards.
"Public health crises are fought as much on the airwaves and in print as they are in isolation wards and laboratories," the statement said. "Without a strategic media pipeline embedded within the highest decision-making body, the fight against a highly contagious virus faces an immediate deficit in public trust and communication velocity."
The Ebola outbreak is spreading across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, with at least 349 reported deaths. The World Health Organisation has declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, raising fears of cross-border transmission given heavy international travel and porous borders.
HEWAN recalled that during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, health journalists played a frontline role translating scientific information into simple public messages. They also countered dangerous misinformation, including the widely circulated but false "saltwater bath" cure that led to deaths.
The statement, jointly signed by HEWAN President Mrs Vivian Ihechu and Secretary Mrs Temitope Obayendo, stressed that Nigeria's success in containing Ebola in 2014 was largely driven by coordinated risk communication involving trained health journalists.
"Health writers are not passive observers, but essential public health first responders who bridge the gap between scientific containment and civic cooperation," the statement added.
The group warned that excluding trained health communicators from the task force could create a dangerous communication gap where misinformation thrives. This could potentially weaken public compliance with preventive measures.
"Health security is a collaborative habit, and HEWAN stands fully prepared to guarantee that this national intervention achieves absolute success."
The association argued that integrating health journalists into the response framework would ensure the N10 billion intervention fund is backed by a robust communication infrastructure capable of driving nationwide sensitisation. HEWAN pledged to deploy its nationwide media network in support of the Federal Government's Ebola preparedness efforts.
Ebola Virus Disease is a severe and often fatal illness transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated animals. Symptoms include fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
The Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness was set up to coordinate Nigeria's response to the outbreak. HEWAN's request now puts the spotlight on whether the government will treat communication as a core part of its defence strategy.