Opening in Sal© of the 8th General Assembly of FAAPA on Health Sovereignty


Sal©: The Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA) began, this Wednesday in Sal©, the work of its eighth General Assembly, placed under the theme: “African press agencies, lever for promoting the health sovereignty of the continent”. Over two days, this event brings together CEOs of African news agencies, media and health experts to discuss strategies to strengthen Africa’s health sovereignty in the face of crises and pandemics.



According to Burkina Information Agency, the opening ceremony was marked by speeches from the Moroccan Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, his Ivorian counterpart, government spokesperson, Amadou Coulibaly, as well as the President of FAAPA and Director General of the Maghreb Arab Press Agency (MAP), Fouad Arif. The speakers stressed the need to mobilize all stakeholders, including the media, to address health challenges, produce reliable information, fight against disinformation and raise awareness of public health issues.



A panel entitled ‘The role of the media in managing health crises in Africa’ marked the first day, exploring the interactions between scientific communication, crisis management, and the role of news agencies in raising awareness and training health journalists. Dr. Rainatou Euphrasie V©ronique Adjami Barry, a doctor in charge of a mission at the Ministry of Health of Burkina Faso, shared Burkina Faso’s experience in managing health crises, highlighting the role of the media in this dynamic.



This edition coincides with the 10th anniversary of FAAPA. A video retracing the achievements of the federation was screened, highlighting its efforts to promote cooperation and sharing of experiences among its members. Created in 2014, FAAPA brings together around thirty African press agencies and aims to strengthen the capacities of national agencies in the areas of information, training, and multimedia production.

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