UNICEF, Amar Ujala hold Critical Appraisal Skills Workshop focusing on reaching the last mile of children with lifesaving routine immunization

JAIPUR, 28 December 2023 – Over 25 media professionals from Amar Ujala from across India participated in a one-day workshop held today on evidence-based health journalism focusing on Routine Immunization for children organized by UNICEF in partnership with Amar Ujala.

The journalists from Amar Ujala from the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand deliberated on the importance of evidence-based reporting and fact-checking in health journalism through UNICEF-supported Critical Appraisal Skills (CAS) programme. The newsmen were encouraged to contribute to the discourse by writing editorials and opinion pieces, by telling stories from the ground, on social media platforms and engaging influencers on Routine Immunization to reach children who were missed or left out of essential routine immunization (zero dose).

Speaking on the need for capacity building of media, Zafrin Chowdhury, Chief of Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships, UNICEF India, said, “Misinformation often drives vaccine hesitancy and can endanger public health and wellbeing. The media plays a pivotal role in clarifying scientific facts to parents and caregivers with correct information and evidence. The Critical Appraisal Skill (CAS) programme empowers the media to counter misinformation and help act as an ally and enabler to reach zero dose children. The CAS can equip the media to advocate for immunising every girl and boy and protect them from vaccine-preventable childhood illnesses.”

Dr Yashika Negi, Health Officer, UNICEF India, spoke on India’s efforts to halve the number of unimmunized children in the post-pandemic period. “Robust government efforts such as Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3 and 4, India were able to arrest the backslide in the number of unimmunized children, during the COVID-19 pandemic. These dedicated efforts have produced encouraging results, with the number of zero-dose children being halved from 2.7 million in 2021 to 1.1 million in 2022. Media stands as a pivotal partner in this positive trajectory,” said Dr Negi.

This progress made by India has the potential to accelerate global targets, making India a critical player in the achievement of the SDG-3 – Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

Dr Anil Agarwal, Health Specialist, UNICEF Rajasthan, said, “There remain child population and areas to reach. The partially vaccinated and unvaccinated children remain at risk of morbidity and mortality caused by vaccine preventable diseases. It is critical to identify and vaccinate these children living across the country, especially in hard to reach pockets.”

The workshop brought together practitioners of CAS, journalists and subject experts, including former Editor of Amar Ujala, Dehradun, Sanjay Abhigyan to speak from experience on evidence-based journalism in areas that impact children such as Routine Immunization, Antibiotics, Mother and Child Healthcare.

Sanjay Abhigyan, while addressing a session on the CAS’ 12 points of Media Rating Tool, said, “In today's world of information overload, it is more important than ever for journalists to be able to cut through the noise and report on health issues accurately and ethically. The CAS programme equips journalists with critical thinking skills and enables them to screen through biases and overcome newsroom dilemmas to report on complex health topics to produce high-quality, impactful health journalism.”

Speakers from UNICEF included Sonia Sarkar, Communication Officer (Media), as well as CAS expert Mr Vikram Mazumder, Strategic communication expert from La Pura Vida Foundation.

The CAS programme, developed in 2014 by UNICEF, in association with Oxford University, Thomson Reuters and IIMC for working health journalists and students of journalism and mass communication, was later adapted as an elective module in their curriculum by IIMC and Maulana Azad National Urdu University. The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, too added CAS, this year, as a part of its curriculum for its third semester students.