PRB

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29, 2022—PRB announced today the launch of its Public Health Reporting Corps with a group of 18 journalists based in India and Nigeria. The new fellowship program supports international journalists in investigating and documenting systemic public health challenges and solutions and incorporating evidence and data into their coverage of these topics. The first cohort will focus on health equity and COVID-19 recovery.

“We’re excited to start this new, bold initiative with such a dynamic group of journalists,” said PRB Media Programs Director Alana Barton. “Global problems require collaborative solutions, and we believe PRB’s Public Health Reporting Corps opens up channels for sharing data, experiences and knowledge across boundaries to improve the breadth of public information and debate.”

In the 14-month program, fellows will engage with global experts on the twin challenges of health misinformation and vaccine hesitancy and the social and systemic realities that underlie them, while collaborating on cross-border reporting projects.

The program aims to support fellows in building a sustainable, journalist-led corps. In the future, the Public Health Reporting Corps plans to expand to additional countries, exploring a range of topics and cultivating a global community of reporters dedicated to in-depth coverage of public health systems.

Fellows represent diverse professional and personal backgrounds, geographies and media and will combine their efforts and experiences to enhance evidence-based, nuanced news coverage of public health. The members of the inaugural cohort are:

INDIA

• Sumitra DebRoy, reporter, Times of India
• Abhijeet Gurjar, independent photojournalist
• Mahima Jain, independent editor and science journalist
• Bobby Ramakant, reporter and member of Citizen News Service
• Shreya Raman, independent data journalist
• Anagha Sawant, senior sub-editor, Mid-Day
• Shobha Shukla, executive director and managing editor, Citizen News Service
• Aradhna Wal, independent print and digital reporter

NIGERIA

• Tunde Ajaja, journalist, Punch Nigeria Limited
• Ojoma Akor, health editor, Daily Trust
• Jesupemi Are, health journalist, TheCable
• Anibe Idajili, independent digital journalist
• Rita Okonoboh, news editor, TheCable
• Allwell Okpi, researcher and community manager, Africa Check
• Kolawole Omoniyi, news manager, Steam and Globe Broadcasting Limited
• Yecenu Sasetu, reporter, Kiss FM
• Ode Uduu, data journalist and research analyst, Dataphyte
• Jennifer Ugwa, independent investigative reporter

PRB’s Public Health Reporting Corps is supported by a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

About PRB

We promote and support evidence-based policies, practices, and decision-making to improve the health and well-being of people throughout the world. Learn more at prb.org. Follow us @PRBdata.