Three journalists from the Media General group – Portia Gabor, Esi Benewaa Otoo, Adwoa Adobea-Owusu – have been awarded by the Merck Foundation for their excellent reportage on issues of infertility amongst men and women in Ghana.
The three were awarded under the Merck Foundation’s ‘More than a Mother’ media recognition awards.
‘Merck More than a Mother’ seeks to support men and women facing fertility issues as well as erasing the stigma against persons with issues of fertility, and the awards ceremony is also aimed at rewarding journalists in Africa and beyond who highlight issues of infertility in their work.
The three journalists beat competition from journalists across Africa to emerge winners for the multimedia category of this year’s awards.
The Foundation’s annual conference, Merck Africa Asia Luminary, which took place in Accra on Tuesday, October 29, saw Portia Gabor, Esi Benewaa Otoo and Adwoa Adobea-Owusu walk away with all awards reserved for the multimedia category.
Adwoa Adobea-Owusu, who placed first, was rewarded with $1,000 while Esi Benewaa Otoo and Portia Gabor who emerged second and third respectively received $500 each.
For the story which won her the award, Adwo Adobea-Owusu focused on a young woman with endometriosis, which is one of the causes of infertility.
She placed the spotlight on the young woman who has endured stigma for years because of her condition and inability to bear children.
The story, which is titled ‘Endometriosis Awareness’ sought to bring the condition to the fore by speaking to medical practitioners to educate the public on the causes, symptoms and ways through which the condition can be handled.
For her story, Esi Benewaa Otoo told the tale of a young couple who have been without children since they got married some seven years ago.
The couple, who live in a rural area, had no knowledge of what exactly their condition was, neither did they have access to facilities or technologies that could help solve their problem.
In her story, she spoke to experts and doctors who took the couple through the various technologies available with which they could get help.
Portia Gabor’s story was about a woman who lost her marriage of 15 years due to infertility.
Despite the stigma and trauma she had to endure, she decided to live a happy life by adopting a son.
Other journalists in print and broadcast media were also awarded at the ceremony, which had First Ladies from across Africa in attendance.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana