Diana Wangari
is a medical student and journalist from Kenya. From October to December 2014 she spent her elective period at university as journalist in residence at ITM. She looks back at this experience in a series of "Memories of Antwerp":
Journalists
in Residence
Since 2014, the Institute of Tropical Medicine yearly invites a journalist from Africa, Asia or Latin America for a residency of several weeks. While in Antwerp, they deepen their understanding of tropical medicine and global health issues.
The initiative is part of an extensive programme of sustainable scientific, medical and veterinary capacity building in the South with support from the Belgian Directorate-General for Development (DGD).
The programme offers a unique opportunity for reporters, producers, and editors to work on an exciting project in the realm of tropical medicine and global health (a documentary, or a series of articles, for instance). They interact with world experts in a wide range of topics in biomedical sciences, clinical sciences and public health.
ITM journalists-in-residence have time to explore diverse areas or delve deeply into a single topic. They are also welcome to participate in a variety of scientific meetings, seminars and other learning experiences, as well as enjoy quiet time for reading and independent study.
Bharathi Ghanashyam
Bharathi Ghanashyam is an experienced journalist from India. Bharathi been a development writer for over a decade and has documented development interventions on health, gender, environment, waste management and others.
She has also worked to mainstream development communication through the media for an equal number of years. She has brought special focus through her writing to health issues such as TB, HIV, mental health and primary healthcare.
Bharathi is the founder and editor of Journalists against TB, a blog comprised of health journalists committed to writing on the disease.
Articles
- Changing the game for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (The Lancet)
- ITM Diary – ramblings from an aTB journalist (ITM newsletter Buzz)
- Mr Narendra Modi, TB control holds the key to progress in India (Journalists against TB)
- Improve living and working conditions to wipe out TB (Deccan Herald)
- Public + health = public health = public good and public well-being (Journalists against TB)
Esther Nakkazi
Esther is a freelance reporter specialised in science and technology. She comes from Uganda, were she teaches media training and mentored African science journalists. She has has an active blog called 'Uganda ScieGirl' where she blogs about clinical and biomedical sciences and public health.
At ITM, Esther increased her knowledge about health policy, health economics and communications while interacting with scientists and the various services of the institute.
Articles
- Forty years after first Ebola outbreak, WHO still looking for lasting solution – The EastAfrican
- New Ebola vaccine under consideration for emergency use
- High time for African Journals to convert to open access
- Is a malaria free Africa by 2030 possible?
- One click at a time – a tale of the mighty pen and mouse