Speaker Devraj Ghimire has said that the health sector is more important in terms of genre-based journalism.

Addressing a program organized today on the occasion of the 10th Foundation Day of the Health Journalists Forum Nepal, he said that health journalism informs the public about health issues including diseases. “However, writing about fact-based public health issues in a language that the general public can understand is a challenging task,” he said, “The added challenge now is to stop the misuse of technology, including AI, and fake news that goes viral."

Hence, individuals and institutions engaged in genre-based journalism, especially health should be more responsible in this regard. Speaker Ghimire emphasized that news should be written with more priority on preventing disease rather than on and about diseases.

Also speaking at the event, Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Poudel said that health journalists can put pressure on those leading the state and health sector. As despite the advancements in the medical and health sector treatment is still not accessible to the general public.

World Health Organization Nepal Chief Dr Rajesh Sambhaji Rao Pandav said that the role of journalists is important in public health awareness and said that the WHO has been collaborating with Health Journalists Forum Nepal on various issues of public health.

Federation of Nepali Journalists President Nirmala Sharma said that health journalism has emerged along with the development of genre-based journalism. She stressed that not all that appear in the digital media is news.

Forum President Bisha Kafle discussed the 10-year history of the forum and the initiatives so far. (RSS)