The mass media: A powerful ally in the fight against malaria

The role of the mass media as gatekeepers of all news is now a thing of the past due to competition from social media channels. However, the mass media still remain as watchdogs to protect the public interest, create public awareness and set political agendas.

They are uniquely placed to do so due to the institutional trust they have accumulated over years of existence and in the era of heightened fake news. Traditional media continue to shape policy and guide individuals in making personal choices. This is why the traditional media remains the perfect ally in the fight against malaria.

According to the Economist “[Malaria] has shaped human history for thousands of years. Malaria defeated armies, fueled the slave trade and jump-started the modern environmental movement.” Africa carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. According to WHO AFRO, in 2020 alone, the continent was home to 95% of malaria cases and 96% of malaria deaths. The media can and does have a fundamental role to play in helping the fight against malaria, one of the world’s oldest and deadliest diseases.

Creating public awareness and encouraging behavior change

A lack of knowledge and awareness regarding a disease is a major drawback to the prevention and intervention of any public health challenge. This can be addressed greatly by strengthening health communication tools and disseminating health information through conventional and/or digital media. In covering the latest scientific data on malaria, personal stories, and policy interventions, the media can provide local populations with insights into how serious the threat of the disease is and make available all prevention and control strategies. These can all lead to increasing the adherence of populations to control strategies.

A recent study on mass media exposure and its impact on malaria prevention behavior shows what an important role mass media exposure plays in health communication and adoption of a healthy lifestyle. The study indicates a potentially important role of malaria information received through the mass media on the utilization of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) and the uptake of antimalarial drugs. In this regard, the research calls for better dissemination and social marketing of ideas, which might be facilitated by developing an innovative health communication strategy for social media.

Since malaria is as much about prevention as it is about treatment, public campaigns that can reach vulnerable populations through the media, can be highly impactful. The media can target and reach communities from both urban and rural communities and encourage them to act on accessible prevention methods. To ensure a sustainable push for strengthened communications, it is vital to bring journalists onboard to become advocates for the cause of eliminating malaria.

The media has been pivotal in amplifying the reach and the impact of public health awareness campaigns on malaria. The African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), for example, has trained over 300 journalists across Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, to report effectively on malaria and health.

The aim has always been to ensure that journalists are equipped with the necessary skills to provide timely information on malaria control and elimination efforts and to drive the national conversation on the disease, as well as hold decision-makers accountable

Thus, the Network has over the years been involved in the training of African journalists in malaria reporting and produced documentaries and published the Eyes on Malaria magazine on the disease.

Between 2007 and 2010, AMMREN members across Africa, followed the RTS,S malaria vaccine trials, visited the 11 trial sites and reported extensively on the process to sustain public interest in the final outcomes of the vaccine to ensure its acceptance  when licensed. AMMREN also built the capacity of scientists to work with the media at the vaccine trial sites.

In Ghana, as part of the pan-African Zero Malaria Starts with Me (ZMSWM) movement to eliminate malaria by 2030, AMMREN, worked with the National Malaria Control Programme in Ghana in the setting up of a Malaria Media Coalition. The Coalition, which is being hosted by AMMREN, has about 100 members representing all types of media across all the regions of the country. The initiative has energised journalists to report on malaria and play an active role in the ZMSWM movement by providing them with support and sharing resources to aid reporting on malaria and creating a collaborative platform to drive engagement on malaria. AMMREN also recently organized field trips for journalists to visit Health Research Centers carrying out studies on malaria to further deepen their understanding and engagement with issues related to the disease.

The use of mass media is effective in amplifying the voices of malaria influencers and ambassadors. For example, in 2021, the National Malaria Control Programme of Ghana developed a series of advocacy videos which were broadcast widely on national television, featuring the malaria champion, Gifty Anti. The success of the initiative reinforces the importance of the mass media in amplifying the voices and extending the reach of influencers and ambassadors in the fight against malaria.

Setting the political agenda and holding decision-makers accountable

Malaria is entirely preventable and treatable if tackled early enough and yet we are still grappling with its devastating impact on communities and the crippling of economies. Children under 5 accounted for about 80% of all malaria deaths in Africa and every year malaria is estimated to cost Africa $US 12 billion in lost Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

To eliminate malaria, we need the political will and concerted action of decision-makers, who are influenced and held to account by media houses across the country, continent, and the world. The agenda-setting role of the news media is a powerful influence on what we pay attention to and how we understand the world that lies beyond personal experience.

During the March to Kigali campaign in the run-up to the Kigali Summit on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) held on the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in June 2022, AMMREN worked with its media networks to amplify the calls for increased commitments towards malaria elimination, and contributed to the global advocacy efforts to achieve a successful replenishment of the Global Fund in September 2022.

The full power of the media in confronting public health crisis and pandemics cannot be overlooked. The mass media will continue to play a very important role in providing individuals information and keeping them connected even while physically separated. Traditional media will also continue to serve as a tool to correct misinformation. It is for this reason that it is important for civil society and the government to continue to work closely with the mass media as a powerful ally in the fight against malaria, strengthening public awareness and encouraging behavior change while also holding decision-makers to account.

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About the writer

Dr. Charity Binka is the Executive Secretary of the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) with its headquarters in Accra, Ghana.  AMMREN works with African journalists and scientists to reduce the burden of malaria and other diseases on the continent. AMMREN has expanded its work beyond its original focus and is now involved in other health issues of relevance to Africa beyond malaria under its AMMREN-Plus initiative.