By Malachi Motano
By Malachi Motano
Medical Scientists drawn from Kenyatta University (KU) and Mount Kenya University (MKU) are set to come up with a Science Communication Curriculum for training religious leaders, journalists and scientists on how to communicate scientific information in the efforts to stop resistance to vaccines and other medical products by the public.
The curriculum will focus on three main areas of training which are science reporting for journalists, science literacy for the clergy and science communication for scientists.
Led by Prof. Francis Muregi from Mount Kenya University, the Medical Scientists noted that there has been a strong stand-off between religion and science which has brought about the build-up in resistance to government campaigns on vaccines such as those for covid-19 and polio. The resistance are based on misperceptions being fed to the public.
“Our goal is to find data that will help create a curriculum to teach people on science communication,” Prof. Muregi said.
Prof. Muregi said their aim is at countering misconceptions spread by less informed individuals as well as building good relationship among the stakeholders involved in providing information to the common person so as to get the right information to them. The medical practitioners expressed concerns over misgivings on vaccines and medicine scientist spend sleepless nights to develop because wrong information fan out as soon as they are brought to the public.
“Those people on the frontline who tell the public about medicines or vaccines should be knowledgeable. The first people we target are religious leaders because they are trusted. So, it is important that the information they provide is true,” he said.
He added, “A person who is a clergy wants to talk about covid-19 vaccination, has no knowledge at all and is depended on by all his followers. So, what will happen is he will give the wrong information, and then people will say the Reverend or Sheikh said this so we will not use it.”
Professor Muregi revealed that medical scientists have also contributed to public rejection of medical products because they do not come out to explain their research findings. Therefore, part of the syllabus will train them on how to communicate in a way that every person can understand.
Media as the key disseminator of information is the other player targeted by the medical research team. They intend to bring up journalists who are specialized to medical reporting for them to publish or broadcast correct and accurate scientific information.
“People are already scared, even at this time the biggest problem with the uptake of the covid-19 vaccine is that fear because people are spreading rumours that it kills and that people will not have children. That is misinformation,” he noted.
Prof. Muregi was addressing the media in the company of the teams from Mount Kenya and Kenyatta Universities during a data collection exercise at Makuti Hotel in Kilifi County.
