Yasmine Abdulhafeez – Women in Development and Peace
One of the episodes of “Stay Informed” (Khalleek Fahheem) show, which aired on Yemen Shabab TV during Ramadan, highlighted infant nutrition. The episode featured a mother who fed her three-month-old baby solid foods, harming his health; he cried all night.
This led the father to take the baby to the doctor, who explained that feeding a baby before five months old is unhealthy. The episode emphasized the importance of educating parents about proper infant nutrition, especially early in life, to improve community health and children’s well-being.
The doctor told the parents that at that age, babies lack the enzymes to digest solid foods, even pureed ones. He explained that for the first few months, breast milk is sufficient; even water isn’t necessary.
The mother was unaware of the risks, due to a lack of knowledge about proper infant nutrition. She’d given her baby foods like fried potatoes and some vegetables, believing breast milk wasn’t enough. This caused bloating and digestive problems, highlighting the need to educate mothers about proper nutrition and following health guidelines.
The Importance of Media
In many societies, media plays a vital role in addressing social issues. It’s a crucial platform for education and awareness. With technological advancements, media has become easier to access, providing information anytime, anywhere, at low cost and with ease.
Reproductive health is a major issue receiving significant media attention globally. It directly affects the lives of many women and children who need comprehensive healthcare. This care can only be achieved through community education and awareness, which can be accomplished through print, radio, and television media, spreading knowledge and understanding of these vital issues.
In Yemeni media, however, the focus on reproductive health seems largely absent. While some radio or TV health programs have touched on the topic, the coverage isn’t sufficient to create effective community awareness. It hasn’t significantly contributed to changing societal attitudes and culture towards these crucial issues.
Media and Reproductive Health Awareness
Ishraq Al-A’ttab, a journalist and presenter of health programs, highlights the crucial role of media in raising health awareness in Yemen. She says media helps raise awareness about prevalent diseases, explaining their nature, prevention, and the possibility of treatment if detected early.
Al-A’ttab adds, “Media provides reliable information, correcting misconceptions about health in general, especially concerning women’s reproductive health. Many women get inaccurate information from friends’ experiences.”
She continues, telling Women in Development and Peace newspaper, “Resorting to unhealthy solutions can worsen problems. It’s important to spotlight health issues and discuss them in the media, hopefully prompting government agencies to improve services.”
She sees the media’s importance in raising awareness about reproductive health issues as encouraging community dialogue, allowing discussion, and seeking effective solutions.
Bassam Ghabar, a journalism trainer, says, “Media shapes public awareness. Reproductive health issues are essential and must be addressed, helping the public understand these matters.”
He adds, “Coverage requires understanding key terms and concepts, as well as related practices and guidelines.” Ghabar emphasizes relying on health experts and trustworthy medical diagnoses, boosting credibility and ensuring effective health education.
He believes the media’s focus on reproductive health stems from their social responsibility; they should address such issues through awareness campaigns.
“Coverage shouldn’t just be educational; it should include news coverage and real-life stories offering solutions and raising public awareness.”
He stresses that reproductive health issues require expert input, and coverage must meet different standards than other news; it needs factual, scientific, and medical content. This demands significant effort from journalists to provide good, responsible coverage of reproductive health issues comprehensively and effectively.
Journalist U’dai Al-Dakhaini says, “Media plays a vital, impactful role in society, particularly in raising awareness about health issues in general, and reproductive health specifically, especially in Yemen.”
He adds, “Journalists and media outlets should share important information benefiting the community, ensuring accuracy regarding reproductive health, including family planning, sexually transmitted diseases, genetic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, thalassemia, and maternal and child care.”
He continues, “Media can change harmful misconceptions and practices related to reproductive health, encouraging dialogue and discussion, helping remove stigma, and encouraging individuals to express concerns and needs. It can also support health policies by pressuring decision-makers to adopt policies supporting reproductive health, highlighting community issues and needs, and empowering women to make informed decisions about their reproductive health.”
This, he believes, enhances women’s rights and standing in society by providing access to resources like healthcare services, improving access, and addressing crises in the humanitarian situations many families face.
He concludes that media plays a key role in educating communities on tackling health challenges, including reproductive health. It serves as a powerful tool to significantly improve the community’s health, boosting awareness and quality of life.
Challenges Facing Media
Muhammad Abdul-Wahab Al-Shaibani, editor-in-chief of Khyoot media platform, says, “The challenges facing Yemeni media, especially independent outlets, aren’t limited to a single topic. The current situation, with the conflict’s restrictions on journalistic work, makes investigating various issues in the society—political, economic, or social—a real risk.”
He continues, “Information blackouts and restrictions prevent journalists from accessing accurate, transparent information. This applies to reproductive health awareness, where social and cultural factors intertwine with political ones, making addressing this in rural and isolated communities a real challenge for journalists.”
Ishraq Al-A’ttab points out several challenges Yemeni media face when covering health, particularly reproductive health. A major challenge is the lack of resources to address critical community health needs. The country’s security and political situation harm comprehensive health coverage, making it difficult to obtain accurate statistics on certain diseases and sometimes requiring information suppression during outbreaks.
She continues, “Social stigma makes discussing certain topics, especially those related to reproductive health, difficult. Many women are hesitant to disclose health problems due to societal constraints and imposed customs.”
Al-A’ttab points to another challenge: misinformation about various diseases and unhealthy, illegal treatments. This includes people resorting to unqualified doctors or using herbs that may cause future harm. Some communities rely on traditional medicine for various illnesses, such as fractures and injuries, potentially worsening conditions.
Al-A’ttab emphasizes media as a vital tool for promoting health awareness in Yemen, given the large audience of Yemeni channels. Sustainability requires greater awareness, achieved through increased medical programs, awareness campaigns, and health segments. Governmental and private support are crucial to overcome these challenges.