The partnership with the Union of Tanzanian Press Clubs (UTPC) is exciting - and it has the potential to tell every Tanzanian why they need to take action for out mothers and babies.
The partnership between E4A Tanzania and the Union of Tanzanian Press Clubs (UTPC) is one which we are really excited in and believe has unique potential for enhancing the media’s role in mobilising greater demand and accountability for quality maternal and newborn healthcare services, especially at the local level where ultimately the delivery of healthcare services is realised.The decentralised structure of UTPC via press clubs established in virtually all regions of mainland Tanzania and the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, means that UTPC provides a unique platform for supporting quality journalism in maternal and newborn health (MNH) and the constructive engagement between local media and district decision-makers. This is especially so given that the mandate for the delivery of healthcare services overwhelmingly rests with our councils who oversee the management of virtually all of our health facilities countrywide – dispensaries, health centres and district hospitals falling directly under the district councils.Maternal and Newborn Health Champion Journalists UTPC journalists participating in maternal and newborn health training In April this year an initial training in maternal and newborn health was led by E4A-TZ for grooming almost fifty MNH champion journalists among press club chairpersons and identified members from across twenty-four of UTPC’s regional press clubs in Tanzania. Our Evidence Advisor Moke led the journalists through an in-depth discussion of the evidence available, including an analysis of MNH trends across all the Demographic Health Surveys in Tanzania between 1990 – 2010, and the most up-to-date evidence that shaped the Sharpened One Plan and the Tanzania Countdown Policy Brief that were recently launched in May. Additionally, the former MNH Fellows supported by the Tanzania Media Fund and E4A have been contracted as mentors to the UTPC MNH champions, having been both immersed in and excelled at MNH reporting during their 2013 fellowship.Over these last four months there has been a steady stream of articles produced by the UTPC MNH champions – exploring specific regional contexts; making better use of available statistics; and reporting on challenges and success stories in saving the lives of mothers and babies across the country.Reaching out to Local Decision-MakersMama Ye! Pull-out on maternal and newborn health carried in UTPC newsletter, TuwasilianeTo further leverage on the reach of these stories as well as to disseminate and popularise important developments and new evidence on MNH in Tanzania, E4A-TZ is sponsoring a MNH pull-out in UTPC’s regular newsletter ’Tuwasiliane’. Featuring the best stories across the UTPC MNH champions, as well as blogs, infographics and evidence pieces on topical MNH themes (e.g. September’s issue carries latest evidence with regards sepsis and maternal and newborn mortality, marking World Sepsis Day held on 13th September), the MNH pull-out is particularly targeting local government decision-makers given that 5,000 copies of each Tuwasiliane newsletter are printed and distributed to all regional press clubs, who in turn circulate across regional offices and district councils. Potentially the pull-out can contribute to the local popularisation across regional and district leaderships of key national MNH strategies and targets; as well as inspire through sharing the success stories of others, and facilitate local action where specific challenges reported.As the partnership between E4A and UTPC develops, a strategic focus is being given to community media outlets. UTPC MNH champions are encouraged to share their articles directly with community media houses for airing; and E4A is ensuring latest evidence on MNH is shared with community media houses, in the form of fact sheets and infographics for catalysing locally-generated evidence-informed discussions on different aspects of maternal and newborn health carried on community media. So far 61 community media houses are being reached by the partnership, >90% of these are community radios.Why prioritise community media, when so many efforts are targeted at national media, and the social media revolution?A vision of community media championing transformative change for our mothers and babies survival (Photo ©Plan Intl)While digital and social media is gathering speed in urban Tanzania engaging many thousands of Tanzanians who are embracing the digital era, yet tens of millions more Tanzanians remain rural dwellers who depend on radio for their news. In 2010 the Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA) printed a media environment overview for Tanzania highlighting that radio access is fairly widespread throughout the country making it the most consistently available medium for Tanzanians across income levels and locations. Furthermore, nearly 70% of rural Tanzanians reported that newspapers are not available in their area; less than half (41%) of all Tanzanians get to watch TV at least once a week – often in a communal setting; while the vast majority of Tanzanians (91%) get to hear radio at least once a week.And yet despite the fact that the majority of Tanzanians can only be regularly reached through radio, however there are a multitude of training meetings for journalists on various subjects including maternal, newborn and child health which are targeted at national media houses, especially newsprint and television. Of course such national media will significantly inform and influence urban Tanzania, national stakeholder groups, and crucially national leaders and decision-makers.However there remains a pervasive gap in consistently reaching the majority of citizens in rural Tanzania, where the heart of the famous quotation by Malcolm X on the power of media lies: “The media’s the most powerful entity on earth… because they control the minds of the masses.” Whether it is en masse social behaviour change in community practices regarding maternal and newborn survival, or the wider public demanding better quality of care and accountability for maternal and newborn health services, we believe that strategically working with community media across Tanzania, especially radio, has the potential to contribute to transformative change for our mothers and babies survival.