Curious minds sharpens skills of journalists in health data governance reporting
By Christabel Oboshie ANNAN, Accra
Curious Minds, a youth-led media advocacy organization has trained 10 selected media personnel in Accra on effective advocacy and reporting on health data governance.
The training sought to increase the knowledge of selected media personnel on what health data governance entails and to build their capacity on how to include issues of health data governance in their publications.
The Advocacy and Communication Officer at Curious Minds, Joana Naa Adjeley Obeney urged the media personnel to encourage the public through their stories to ask relevant questions at all times especially when they visit the hospital.
She stated that it is important for the public to be aware of how their data is stored, access and disposed.
Joana Obeney added that the Patient Charter for instance, which seeks to address the right of the individual to an easily accessible, equitable and comprehensive health care should be frequently discussed on-air to enlighten the public on their rights on health data governance.
She noted that there are a lot of information which needed to be explored by media personnel to inform the public about their health data
She advised the media to make good use of the Right To Information Act to solicit for information on health data governance anytime they are being denied access to such.
Joana Obeney added that accessing data at health facilities is not difficult and that all one needs to do is ‘ visit any health centre then ask for your records either on your digital application or a print out’.
“As a patient, you should understand that you are responsible for your own health and should therefore co-operate fully with healthcare providers” she stressed.
The Programmes Manager at Curious Minds, Samuel Quaye, during the training noted that there’s the need to develop and adopt a global health data governance framework through the World Health Assembly resolution.
He indicated that the framework would lead to a much-needed regulatory standards for countries to adopt into national legislation and ensure the equitable governance of health data around the world.
“Such a framework should be based on norms and standards that draw on duty obligations that countries have made to respect, protect and uphold basic rights” he stressed.
Samuel Quaye stated that the framework would lay the foundation for improved public trust in health data systems, whereby individuals feel protected, respected and in control of their own data.
He explained that it will also allow institutions working to protect the health and well-being of the population to access and use data for the public good.
