Salé — African press agencies must play a key role in promoting African initiatives in the field of health, by publicizing discoveries and work of the continent’s researchers, said on Wednesday in Salé, Ivorian Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson Amadou Coulibaly.
Speaking at the opening of FAAPA’s 8th General Assembly, held under the theme “African News Agencies as a Vehicle for Promoting the Continent’s Health Sovereignty”, Coulibaly noted that strengthening press agencies’ capacities in science and health journalism is an essential requirement for specialization.
Highlighting the relevance of the chosen theme of this event, he praised the premonitory and enlightened vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI in the health field, while welcoming the creation of the African Academy of Health Sciences (AAHS) in Dakhla, with the main mission of promoting federative South-South cooperation, mobilizing for African health sovereignty.
The Ivorian minister also called for pooling health information by setting up a network of exchanges between African press agencies, noting that this is “a reality that is becoming more and more essential in view of crisis periods that we have gone through and will always go through”.
The impact of social networks and the risks of misinformation further reinforce the importance of press agencies, recognized as “safeguards” of local information, he stressed, adding that the recent COVID-19 health crisis has created a major flow of content, making it imperative to have safe media offering reliable information, produced according to the rules of ethics and press deontology.
In this regard, “press agencies must become solid ramparts against the spread of false information, in particular by developing fact-checking services and by contributing to raising public awareness of the responsible use of social media,” noted Coulibaly.
The Ivorian minister also emphasized the excellent age-old ties between Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire, noting that this event highlights the Kingdom’s commitment to promoting and strengthening cooperation between the continent’s States.
The Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA) is a professional platform bringing together around thirty press agencies and observer members. Its mission is to promote cooperation and the exchange of experience between African press agencies in all areas of mutual interest, including information dissemination, training, digital and multimedia products.
The eighth General Assembly of the Atlantic Federation of African News Agencies (FAAPA) brings together the Directors General of several African news agencies alongside media and health experts, as well as distinguished figures from various fields. The focus of the event is FAAPA’s 10th anniversary as a forum for reflection on the future of African press agencies and their central role in the 21st century, in their respective diverse and specific mediums.
