MURAMVYA, January 3rd (ABP) – Journalists play an important role in raising public awareness of the benefits of mutual health insurance, said the National Director of the National Confederation of Community Health Mutuals in Burundi (CONAMUS), Mrs. Beatrice Niyonzima, at a workshop for journalists held on Monday, December 30, 2024, in the provincial capital of Muramvya, on strengthening communication and promoting the mutual movement.
On that occasion, Ms Niyonzima announced that CONAMUS’s vision is to enable the Burundian population to access quality healthcare in an equitable, effective, efficient and sustainable manner.
In a world where access to quality healthcare remains a major challenge, both nationally and internationally, she pointed out that community health mutuals represent a strategic solution for guaranteeing universal health coverage. That, she added, would ensure solidarity between populations and reduce inequalities in access to quality healthcare.
Despite those advantages, Mrs. Niyonzima pointed out that many people are still unfamiliar with mutual health insurance schemes. That hinders them from signing up to mutual health insurance schemes in a different way.
The journalists invited to the workshop were asked to produce broadcasts, articles and other material to raise public awareness of health issues and mutual health insurance. For, according to Niyonzima, journalists are the people’s privileged interlocutors, with a unique ability to make complex subjects accessible, to popularize health-related issues, and to raise awareness of the benefits of mutual health insurance.
To achieve that, CONAMUS members have decided to create a network of journalists committed to promoting mutual health insurance. The purpose of that network will be to structure efforts and create a common dynamic that promotes better access to information on mutual health insurance and its positive impact on the lives of the population,” said Niyonzima.
The creation of that network is intended to strengthen communication around mutual health insurance, raise public awareness and facilitate the implementation of policies favourable to the expansion of health coverage by mutuals.
She pointed out that that network could play an essential role in promoting best practices, by sharing concrete examples of success, disseminating verified information and combating misinformation that may still exist around mutual health insurance.
That network will be a space for collaboration and solidarity between journalists and mutual health organizations, sharing knowledge and ideas to help improve access to quality healthcare and extend universal health coverage.
The journalists invited to the workshop pledged to help promote the mutual movement. However, they asked CONAMUS to organize joint productions to collect testimonies from the beneficiaries of community health mutuals, and to organize a caravan to promote social protection, so as to raise awareness of the benefits of mutual health insurance. They also agreed to organize media synergy and competitions for journalists to encourage them to produce more programs and articles on the subject.