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The National
07-04-2025
- Health
- The National
Apply for a mental health journalism fellowship in the UAE
If you are a reporter, editor or content producer in the UAE, you can now apply for a 2025-2026 Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism. The programme provides a grant, training and mentorship for 12 months. Interested candidates have until May 20 to apply. The non-residential fellowship programme, which is run by the Carter Centre in the US and administered in the UAE by The National, seeks to develop a cohort of journalists who can improve the quality of mental health reporting. The programme is named after the late Rosalynn Carter, co-founder of the Carter Centre, who was an influential voice in the field of mental health for decades. The Carter Centre has awarded Rosalynn Carter fellowships to more than 280 journalists around the world since 1996. Up to two fellowships will be awarded in the UAE in the 2025-2026 recruitment cycle. The successful candidates will follow Saeed Saeed, who is the 10th journalist to be connected to the programme since The National began overseeing the award of UAE fellowships in 2018. His reporting project this year has focused on attitudes towards mental health in the Arabic music scene. Previous fellows have reported on a diverse range of topics, including the experiences of communities living with the threat of conflict and climate change, solutions-based pieces on ways to help build more resilient societies, insightful reporting on the experiences of expatriate workers living apart from their natural support networks, stories that have documented the societal pressures experienced by young people, how schools tackled the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the need for better support for people living with disabilities and for the forcibly displaced. The fellowship year, which runs from the start of September for 12 months, is bookended by annual meetings at the Carter Centre in the US city of Atlanta, where incoming fellows will discuss their intended reporting work with a global network of journalists and experts. Fellows will return to the same forum in September 2026. They will be supported by experts in the US and local advisers in the UAE throughout their time with the programme. Applicants for the 2025-2026 recruitment cycle must be a citizen or resident of the UAE, or demonstrate a strong connection to the country by freelance work. You should have experience as a reporter, editor or content producer. Applicants should submit a copy of their CV, together with a cover letter of no more than 500 words that provides an outline of the mental health reporting work the candidate would seek to do if awarded a Rosalynn Carter fellowship. The project proposal could be for a single reported piece, a podcast series, a collection of features, videos or any other form of publishable content. The applicant should outline where they hope to publish their work and in what format (ie, digital, print, broadcast, multimedia or social media). It is not a requirement of the scheme that the reporting project is published in or by The National. Any application should be supported by links to two samples of previously published work. In addition, the applicant should supply contact details for a suitable referee. That person is in all likelihood a senior editor, newsroom leader or publisher, and should be able to comment on the applicant's ability and potential as a journalist and, ideally, have a strong interest in publishing and supporting the applicant's fellowship proposal. Referees will only be contacted if a candidate is called for interview. Applicants should submit their CV, cover letter of 500 words or less, links to two samples of their work and contact details for their referee to: Nick March, Assistant Editor-in-Chief at The National and UAE Programme Administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism. Send your documents to nmarch@ Please mark the subject line of your email as 'Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application 2025-26)". The closing date for applications is May 20, 2025. All applications will be reviewed by a panel of editors at The National and the local advisory board for the fellowship in the UAE. Shortlisted candidates will then be interviewed by the local advisory board and programme administrator. It is intended that interviews will be conducted in June 2025, either in-person in Abu Dhabi or via Zoom.
Zawya
31-01-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Communities mobilize to end Guinea-worm disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Salomon Kosoma, a fisherman and farmer in the north-west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is also a community mobilizer with a strong commitment to the prevention and control of Guinea-worm disease also known as dracunculiasis. In his fifties, Salomon decided to be part of the control effort when he realized the harmful health consequences of this neglected tropical disease. "I first heard about this disease during a polio vaccination campaign. That was in 2016," explains Salomon. In Businga District and across the country, Guinea-worm disease control is integrated into broader community health initiatives. After receiving initial information about the disease, Salomon gained additional knowledge through radio broadcasts detailing its symptoms, such as swollen feet and how to extract the worm, which can grow up to a meter long. Intrigued and concerned, Salomon decided to get involved in active case finding in his community, after completing a community health training course. One day, in the course of his daily work as a community health volunteer, he encountered a man with a swollen leg and immediately took him to the health centre. Upon examination, it turned out to be a case of elephantiasis. "It wasn't Guinea-worm disease. After receiving treatment, he was able to resume his life as a fisherman. I was very proud to have helped him." In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the elimination of guinea worm marks a major achievement in the prevention and control of neglected tropical diseases. In 2022, World Health Organization (WHO) certified the country as having eliminated the disease as a public health problem, a significant step toward achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Despite the achievement, Democratic Republic of the Congo C remains vulnerable to a resurgence of this parasitic disease due to frequent cross-border population movements with countries where transmission is still active and has passed from humans to animals. To mitigate this risk, WHO, with support from partners including the Carter Centre and CDC Atlanta, has strengthened post-elimination efforts that include active surveillance, particularly community-based monitoring system. To permanently break the cycle of transmission, the Ministry of Health, with WHO's support has trained over 500 community health volunteers to detect symptoms of the disease and raise public awareness. Thousands of posters have been displayed in hospitals and health centres, while local radio stations continue to broadcast targeted messages to reach isolated populations. Milekana Maboki Bébé, a social mobilizer for the past 10 years in Businga, works with Salomon. "Every day, with the support of community mobilizers, I raise awareness in at-risk areas about good hygiene practices," she says. "I am greatly encouraged by the community involvement in case finding and the adoption of simple actions, such as avoiding bathing in contaminated water." Nicknamed "Mpika" (hook), "Mutchopi" (earthworm) or "Nkusu ya Mulayi" (maggot), depending on the community, guinea worm disease mainly affects rural populations using stagnant water contaminated by water fleas carrying Guinea-worm larvae. The disease causes painful sores and inflammation of the joints, which can lead to disability. Its transmission peak coincides with the farming season, which also has repercussions on food production. To encourage case reporting, a US$ 400 incentive was introduced in 2016 for confirmation of a suspected cases, increasing to US$ 1000 in 2021. The incentive is distributed as follows: US$ 250 each to the informant, nurse, health zone, and provincial health division (DPS). Since its introduction, suspected cases have been frequently reported within communities, though none have been laboratory-confirmed as positive. "The commitment of Salomon and other community relays attests to the effectiveness of this incentive," says Dr Renée Nsamba, epidemiologist in charge of neglected tropical diseases at the WHO Country Office in the DRC. "With rapid reporting of suspected cases, we are confident that we can respond quickly to a positive case." One of the strategies implemented by the DRC to maintain its dracunculiasis-free status is the integrated approach. "Integrated surveillance, implemented during polio vaccination campaigns, enables us to reach a wider audience and also affords us the opportunity to address public health issues, such as active dracunculiasis case finding," adds Dr Nsamba. "Community involvement remains crucial. It ensures the sustainability of initiatives. In addition to community surveillance, the introduction of sustainable initiatives such as water supply, hygiene and sanitation measures, and the strengthening of cross-border surveillance, have been crucial. "We welcome all strategies that will preserve our elimination status," says Dr Nkoy Mbilo Serge, Director of the National Dracunculiasis Eradication Programme (PNED). "If a drinking water source is suspected of being contaminated, it must be treated immediately," he explains. "In addition, we continue to place a premium on intersectoral collaboration, integration with other programmes and strengthening the 'One Health' approach." In Businga, Salomon continues his community surveillance activities with the same resolve. "I will continue to search for cases throughout my province. By joining this effort, I am protecting myself, protecting the people around me and protecting my environment.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) - Democratic Republic of Congo.
