By Grateful Ogunjebe
A Nigerian journalist, Ojoma Akor, has won the Moji Makanjuola Award for Public Health Journalism.
She is the first recipient of the award, which is instituted by the Academy of Public Health (APH), the flagship body of the West African Institute of Public Health (WAIPH), in partnership with the International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH).
The award, named after Chief Moji Makanjuola, a veteran health journalist and broadcaster, celebrates journalists whose reporting has advanced public understanding of health issues and contributed to evidence-based policy decisions.
The award was presented to Akor on Monday by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, during the APH annual conference and induction ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria.
The prestigious award recognizes Akor’s exceptional contributions to health reporting in Nigeria and across Africa. It acknowledges her tireless efforts to amplify critical health issues and inspire action.
According to the organisers of the award, Akor, editor of Health and Science Africa and former health editor at Daily Trust, has brought over a decade of experience to health journalism, investigative reporting, and media advocacy.
They said Akor’s recognition underscores the growing importance of public health journalism in promoting health literacy and addressing pressing health challenges across Africa.
The Director General of the WAIPH, Dr. Francis Ohanyido, said Akor was chosen for the award after a rigorous selection process of journalists who have done significant work that has impacted other journalists and the public.
He said, “We felt that Ojoma Akor was the best fit for the inaugural Moji Makanjuola award for public health journalism. The award should spur other journalists to make the kind of impact that she is making.”
Chief Moji Makanjuola said the award programme will continue as long as she lives.
She said the media and the health sector have to engender a sustainable partnership, adding, “It is therefore a clarion call to the media that we have a role to play going forward in the health sector.”
The award recipient, Ojoma Akor, said she is happy to receive the award and is committed to doing more.
She said, “I am thrilled to win the inaugural award and also excited that my stories have, over the years, had an impact on communities, affected populations, and even changed narratives. I am committed to doing more, and I encourage my colleagues in the health journalism field to continue to give voice to the voiceless.”
She applauded Chief Moji Makanjuola for paving the way in health journalism and being a pillar of support and mentorship for other health journalists over the years.
Akor has received numerous national and international awards and fellowships including recognition from the International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ), the Emerging Health Technologies Media award of Excellence for African journalists, SHE & Rights Media Awards, the International Women Media Foundation (IWMF) global health reporting fellowship, Merck Foundation awards for COVID-19 reporting and infertility stigma, and Public Health Reporting Corps (Nigeria and India). She also completed the Design Equity and Action Leadership (DEAL) Fellowship under the Young Professionals in Public Health Programme of APH.
