UN children agency or UNICEF on Wednesday started two-day training for ten reporters from all media houses operating in Torit on Ebola prevention.
UNICEF communication specialist in South Sudan Hellen Ryan said the course is to enhance the capacity and knowledge of local journalists to spread accurate information on the virus, Radio Emmanuel reports.
‘The objective is for journalists to have more knowledge about the disease. If the journalists know about the disease they can also easily identify rumours that are not true about the disease because Ebola is very serious disease we also know that a lot of people are scared of the disease and that is how a lot of rumour are forming and spreading fast, she explained.
The official added that they are ‘training journalists on what to know about this disease, they can easily identify what is not true then they can help us to spell out these. We also know radio stations in South Sudan are crucial getting these information to people in South Sudan’.
Hellen said her organization plans to cover bordering areas to equip themselves with skills.
The two-day training will focus on practical knowledge journalists need while in the field, she noted.
‘This is first time we are taking training to the field and the reason for that is because we want to cover all the high risk areas and we also want to include some practically assignments into the training and the best way to do that is to do the practical assignments in the area where you normally work, the specialist further explained.
She noted that ‘it is going to be two days one day is going to be theoretical we are going stay in the conference and talk about Ebola and prevention how to report about Ebola and day two we are going to go out and see some prevention activities that we are doing here in Torit’.
The officer urged the population to practice Ebola prevention measures such as hand washing before eating or after helping sick persons.
At the moment, there is no reported Ebola case in South Sudan, but fears are that the country borders Congo where there is outbreak.