Scholars, researchers, and academia have emphasized the need to change the narratives surrounding sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Nigeria through evidence-based storytelling and data-driven advocacy.
The call was made during a week-long physical training session, organized by the Academic for Health Development (AHEAD), on Communicating Evidence for Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Policy Advocacy and Action (C4SPAA) Fellowship Cohort 3 for 2024/2025, held in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Professor Adesegun Fatusi, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Health Sciences in Ondo State, highlighted the importance of amplifying more voices in the fight against the menace of unsafe abortion and other SRHR issues.
“Nigeria has a lot of challenges relating to sexual reproductive health, and maternal mortality with abortion-related issues as central. The lives of women, mothers, young girls, and children should be prioritized,” said Professor Fatusi, who is also a public health and community medicine consultant and the co-founder of the AHEAD in Ile-Ife.
One of the facilitators, Mr John-Paul Akinduro, the Chief of Staff to the Ondo State Deputy Governor, emphasized that the information disorder on sexual and reproductive health was making advocacy through the media difficult. He stressed the need for stakeholders, including the media, policymakers, and researchers, to provide the right information to engage with the people.
Dr. Wale Fatade, another facilitator, highlighted the importance of data-driven storytelling for abortion advocacy, noting that the media should be the driving force in using data for storytelling to ensure insights and credibility.
Emphasizing the need for journalists to craft impactful and influential SRHR stories in their advocacy Dr. Fatade explained that “Data-driven storytelling for Abortion Advocacy would uncover the true story behind the Narrative.”
The training session, organized by AHEAD and funded by the Guttmacher Institute USA, was attended by a diverse group of participants, including journalists, medical practitioners, youth advocates, social media influencers, researchers, media experts, and policymakers from across Nigeria.
Over the last two years, AHEAD has gained recognition at both the national and international levels, delivering successful projects in training, capacity development, research, health program management, and evidence-based policy development and advocacy.