Online Reporter
Robin Muchetu
[email protected]
HEALTH journalists from across Zimbabwe are from today (Tuesday) undergoing a three-day intensive training programme aimed at strengthening reporting on HIV prevention, integrated healthcare and emerging biomedical interventions, including the groundbreaking long-acting HIV prevention drug Lenacapavir.
The training, convened by the Organisation for Public Health Interventions and Development (OPHID), is designed to equip journalists with the technical knowledge, context and analytical skills required to deliver accurate, ethical and evidence-based reporting on Lenacapavir, as well as broader HIV prevention strategies such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
Organisers said the workshop comes at a critical time as Zimbabwe and the wider region begin introducing innovative long-acting HIV prevention interventions.
With scientific advances rapidly transforming HIV prevention and treatment approaches, there is growing recognition of the need for a well-informed media capable of translating complex medical information into accessible public messages.
The workshop seeks to demystify biomedical science and enable journalists to accurately communicate clinical information related to Lenacapavir and other HIV prevention options in language that is easy for the public to understand.
Participants will also receive training on the rollout and operationalisation of long-acting interventions in Zimbabwe, providing them with a clearer understanding of how such public health programmes are implemented and monitored.
In addition to HIV prevention, the training will explore the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including hypertension, diabetes and cancers, and how these conditions threaten to undermine gains made in the fight against HIV.
The programme will also examine integrated healthcare models that address both HIV and NCDs, while providing journalists with insights into health budgets, donor funding mechanisms and domestic health financing.
Organisers said another key objective is to strengthen accountability journalism by sharpening investigative and watchdog reporting skills within the health sector.
At the end of the training, participants are expected to have a stronger grasp of the science behind Lenacapavir and other HIV prevention interventions, reducing the risk of scientific inaccuracies in media reporting.
The workshop is also expected to contribute to increased informed coverage of Lenacapavir rollout and uptake, HIV prevention options and the integration of HIV and NCD services in Zimbabwe.
— @NyembeziMu
