Call for proper reporting

Health Watch

THE reporting of information about the coronavirus (Covid-19) needs to be done properly in order to ensure the public have the best information to make the best decision regarding how they protect themselves.
Media personnel along with representatives of groups in the community, including people living with disabilities and Femili PNG in Lae attended a discussion workshop recently aimed at addressing this issue.
The discussions found that effects of wrong information on the Covid-19 had caused stigma, negatively affected the public health response, fear, panic and vaccine hesitancy.
The training, led by Julie Badui Owa of EMTV a week ago, found that the pandemic had impacted all levels of PNG society, particularly through the economy and restrictions placed on people in order to protect and mitigate the virus.
Owa said many of the effects of the pandemic on people were indirect, including loss of employment, social hardships, law and order issues and abuse.
Many of the victims tended to be women and girls.
For people living with disabilities, their ability to move and access information and make decisions was also affected more so because of their existing disadvantages.