Toolkit launched to assess quality of health stories in media

A global health body has teamed up with an Australian University to launch a toolkit to evaluate quality of health stories published in the media to help journalists assess stories on new tests, treatments and health policies.
The toolkit known as 'Media Doctor' is modeled after a similar pioneering checklist developed in Australia that ran from 2003 to 2013.
However, the toolkit has been modified in the Indian context after several consultations with journalists and media academics and now comprises four checklists - one each to look at stories on new tests and treatments, health advice, health policy and public health.

The George Institute for Global Health (GIGH) teamed up with the University of Newcastle, Australia to Indianise the media doctor tool kit.
"A toolkit to evaluate the quality of health stories published in the Indian newspapers and in the electronic media has been launched to help journalists and health correspondents evaluate media stories on new tests, treatments and procedures, on health advice, health policy and public health stories," a GIGH statement said.
Kannan Krishnaswamy, Communications Manager, GIGH said this is the first version of the toolkit that is being made available to journalists and media students. Based on feedback from stakeholders, the version will be fine-tuned and a second improved version will be launched later this year, he said.

The toolkit was launched at the Shantiniketan University recently. Biplab Loho Choudhury, who was part of the media doctor pilot in India said the plan is to run workshops for journalists, media students and faculty members of journalism institutions to familiarise them with these tools and to encourage them to use the same.

"Strictly speaking, we do not need structured tools to evaluate any media story about health. But they do prevent us from overlooking important aspects of a story.
"They also highlight opinions which can be constructively challenged and discussed and provide a method of comparing the quality of stories from various outlets, besides also providing a means of following trends over time," said Vivekanand Jha, Executive Director, GIGH.

Readers make significant health care decisions based on what they read in newspapers or see in electronic channels. Policy makers are influenced by public opinion, and public opinion is in great part determined by the media.
Panda said that India has made important gains in recent
years and measles deaths have declined by 51 per cent from an estimated 1,00,000 in the year 2000 to 49,000 in 2015.
"This has been made possible by significantly increasing the reach of the first dose of measles vaccine, given at the age of nine months under routine immunisation programme, from 56 per cent in 2000 to 87 per cent in 2015," he said.

In 2010, India introduced the second dose of measles-containing vaccine in routine immunisation programme to close the immunity gap and accelerate measles elimination.
Nearly 11.8 crore children aged nine months to 10 years were vaccinated during mass measles vaccination campaigns between 2010 and 2013 in select states of the country.
Nearly 41 crore children are targeted in a phased manner across the country and all states are likely to be covered by June next year. Following the campaign which is being conducted in five states, MR vaccine will replace the currently given two doses of measles vaccine in routine immunisation programme.

The Expert Advisory Group on measles and rubella congratulated India for its efforts so far and, especially for launching the Measles and Rubella campaign earlier this month.
It also recommended timely roll-out of the remaining phases of the MR campaign, besides further stepping up of surveillance and strengthening the reach of the measles-rubella vaccination campaign, to maximise the gains made so far.
"Measles elimination and rubella control is possible. The MR vaccine is safe and effective. We have tried and tested strategies that are proven to be effective in eliminating measles and controlling rubella.
"Rigorous implementation of these strategies is needed for India to achieve the 2020 target," said T Jacob John, Co-Chair of the Expert Advisory Group.

There are around 2 lakh measles cases every year in India while 48,000 deaths occur in the country. India accounts for one-third of global burden on measles.
"India should be congratulated for MR elimination by 2020. Many years, I remember taking a bet which was which country will eliminate polio. One of us bet on Nigeria and others bet on India. Niegeria had a case last year but India remains polio free. That is a global achievement. I think you can do the same for MR elimination. Measles virus is more infectious than HIV," said Robert Linkins of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).