Having topped the list of awardees in the 2021 Merck Foundation Media Awards, six journalists of the New Times Corporation (NTC), publishers of the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator,” have been presented certificates and medals at a colourful ceremony in Accra.
The journalists swept eight awards out of 16 conferred on journalists in four West African countries; Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and The Gambia, for their exceptional reportage on issues bordering on fertility and COVID-19.
It brings to 13, the number of awards NTC journalists have won since Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, introduced the competition in 2019.
They includeDzifaTetteh-Tay, who won the first position in the print category for the “More than a Mother” and “Mask up with Care” competitions respectively, which aimed at breaking infertility stigma and encouraging adherence to the COVID-19 protocols.
MsBenedictaGyimaahFolley picked up the second and third places in the online category for both contestswhileMr Jonathan Donkor picked up the second prize in the print category for the “More than a Mother” competition.
Mrs AmaTekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman and Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah came second place in the “Mask with Care” competition whereas Agnes Opoku Sarpong won the third prize in online category for the “More than a Mother” contest.
Other winners honoured at the ceremony include Efia Akese of The Mirror newspaper, Zadok Kwame Gyesi of Graphiconline, Emmanuel Debrah, Multimedia-Ghana, Akua Oforiwaa Darko and Beatrice Senadju of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).
The rest are Nelson Nyadror Adanuti of Diamond FM, Prosper Kuorsoh, Ghana News Agency; and Wendy Laryea and Beatrice Spio-Garbrah of TV3-Ghana.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Merck Foundation, Dr Rasha Kelej, presenting the awards, commended the journalists for their rising to the task of sensitising the citizenry on infertility and associated stigma as well as promoting the COVID-19 safety protocols.
“I have always emphasised the prominent role of media as I strongly believe that both media and art have the capacity and ability to create a culture shift in our communities in a cost-effective way,” she said.
DrKelej challenged the winners to work closely with the Foundation to empower the society on infertility and other life-threatening diseases.
She seized the occasion to launch the “Our Africa” TV show which seeks to break the silence about many critical and sensitive social and health issues in Africa.
A song on diabetes composed by Ghanaian gospel musician, Kwesi Oteng and a children story book titled “Sugar Free Jude” was also launched at the ceremony to promote positive health behaviour against non-communicable diseases.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
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