Truth, Accuracy Should Guide Health Reporting, Kano Health Commissioner Tells Journalists

The Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran, has urged journalists to uphold the ethics of their profession by ensuring that health reports are factual, accurate and in the public interest.

Labaran made the call on Tuesday while declaring open a one-day roundtable discussion between health sector leaders and media practitioners in Kano, stressing that information disseminated by journalists should always be “the truth and nothing but the truth.”

The roundtable, organised by the Kano State Ministry of Health in collaboration with the International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH), the EngenderHealth Consortium Partnership and the Unified Health Media Network, aimed to strengthen journalists’ capacity to generate evidence-based stories and shape public discourse using health data.

According to the commissioner, the media remains one of the most trusted sources of information, making it imperative for journalists to verify facts before publication and carefully consider the impact of their reports on public health.

“Information that comes out of journalism should be the truth and nothing but the truth,” he said, warning against sensational reports capable of causing unnecessary panic.

Using cholera as an example, Labaran advised journalists to focus on educating the public about preventive measures rather than merely announcing disease outbreaks.

“The important thing is public awareness. Let people know what is expected of them and how they can protect themselves. That is more beneficial than creating fear,” he said.

He also encouraged sustained engagement between journalists and health authorities to combat misinformation, improve accountability and promote responsible health communication.

In a welcome address delivered on behalf of the Executive Director of ISMPH, Mrs Moji Makanjuola, by the organisation’s Director, Solomon Dogo, the society described the media as a strategic partner in strengthening the health system and promoting public accountability.

He said the roundtable was designed to bridge the gap between technical health data and public understanding by enabling journalists to transform evidence from Integrated Supportive Supervision, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health indicators, Primary Health Care Facility Assessment Tool scorecards and health insurance data into accurate, compelling and solutions-driven reports.

According to him, evidence should not remain “numbers on a report” but should serve as a catalyst for informed public discourse, stronger accountability and improved health outcomes.

Earlier, Kano State ISMP Programme Director, Sabuwa Yahaya, said the meeting was organised to improve journalists’ understanding and use of reliable health data in reporting.

She said the objectives included strengthening media professionals’ capacity to produce accurate, data-driven reports, improving collaboration between media organisations and health institutions, promoting evidence-based reporting, identifying strategies for sustained media engagement in health issues and establishing continuous feedback mechanisms to minimise misinformation and improve public understanding of health interventions