Chronicle Editor
Fungai Muderere in Chinhoyi
THE Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution in Mashonaland East Marian Chombo has underscored that sports journalists have a role to infuse HIV and Aids news and information, including risk perception and utilisation of both prevention and treatment services within their regular reports to galvanise national attention towards epidemic control.
Minister Chombo said this in a speech read on her behalf by the Deputy Director Administration in her office Mavis Nyabadza at a National Aids Council (Nac) organised two day workshop for sports journalists that concluded in Chinhoyi on Wednesday
.”Our people generally love sports and either play or follow one sport or more. Sports journalists therefore are an important partner in reaching millions of our people with key messages on HIV and related morbidities. Your (sports journalists) role is also important in ensuring that our sports journalists also access and utilise services. Often times we forget that our sports celebrities and stars are humans too who are also vulnerable to HIV infection. We treat them as super humans because of the antics they perform on the pitch, without understanding that they also need our help to personalise the risk of HIV infection. We are therefore counting on you as sports journalists to utilise your social capital and the following of your audience to amplify these issues about HIV and related diseases among sports men and women,” said Minister Chombo.
She made the sentiments right on the heels of reports that Zimbabwe has recorded the highest decline in new HIV new infections between 2010 and 2023, a development which has been confirmed by the United Nations Joint Programme on Aids (UNAIDS).
“This is indeed worth our celebration, although I have not seen much in local news about the achievement. We all played a part in this achievement, including the media, which has been very instrumental in achieving widespread awareness of HIV and initiating dialogue on how our people interface with HIV. Some people may wonder why sports journalists. Journalists have always been part of the multi-sectorial response to HIV, always stimulating open and vibrant public debate about issues that underpin the HIV and Aids, including gender relations, social inequalities and resource allocation as well as utilisation.
“You can use sports news as the entry point for awareness about these issues, which society as a whole needs to tackle. Men too have a key role and must be appealed to through sports reporting. You have to be proactive as sports journalists to address community challenges,” said Minister Chombo.
She assured the support and partnership of Mashonaland West province in the pursuit of wellbeing and wellness for the people.
“Statistics are showing that non-communicable diseases are on the rise among our people. Some causes include poor diets fashioned on fast foods and sedentary lifestyles. As sports journalists, you can play a key role in promoting formation of sports clubs among various communities for our people to exercise together and encourage each other to live healthy lifestyles,” she said.
The Minister also challenged sports writers to embrace mainstream health reporting as part of their sports reporting.
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