Agency cries out over shrinking funding of health reporting
A global communication and marketing agency has raised the alarm over the shrinking funding of health reporting in Africa. This was disclosed during a training session organised by FINN Partners
A global communication and marketing agency has raised the alarm over the shrinking funding of health reporting in Africa.
This was disclosed during a training session organised by FINN Partners in Nairobi, Kenya, with hybrid participants from other African countries, among them Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Morocco and Ghana.
The training titled: ‘Navigating the Shifting Global Health Landscape: Implications for Africa’s Health Media and Public Health,’ was attended by journalists from 11 African countries.
Speaking during the training, Founding Partner and CEO of FINN Partners, Peter FINN, said: “We are at a pivotal moment for health communication in Africa.”
According to him, “when journalism is under-resourced, public health suffers. Strong health systems depend on strong media ecosystems, and that means treating journalists as essential partners, not just messengers.”
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Journalists at the training observed that shifts in global health financing have become a dominant media storyline, pushing countries to rethink health sovereignty, domestic financing, and local manufacturing, ‘’while journalists work to translate these policy changes into their real-world impact on communities.’’
Also speaking at the event, Dr: Maryam Bigdeli, Health System Specialist, formerly WHO Representative and Head of Mission in Morocco, observed that “how health issues are reported shapes public trust, policy prioritisation and ultimately the strength of health systems.’’
She thought that amid shifting global health priorities and financing constraints, African countries must focus on building resilient systems grounded in strong primary health care, sustainable financing and accountable governance.
The training revealed that journalists are increasingly focused on data-informed, solutions-oriented reporting that centres African expertise and local context.
They are therefore calling for African experts, researchers and practitioners to be cited as primary authoritative sources, shifting the perception of Africa from a backdrop of crisis to a driver of solutions.
The Africa Health Media Trends Report 2026 concluded with a call to action for governments, NGOs, funders and the private sector to invest in local journalism, improve access to data and African experts, and build long-term, trust-based partnerships with media to strengthen public health outcomes.
