Prevention is better than cure:

Introduction 

To enjoy a full and healthy life and give birth safely, women in the Asia Pacific need access to good health care. They also need to be able to navigate social, cultural and economic barriers that stand in the way of early diagnosis of preventable illness, including conditions that contribute to high maternal mortality.

To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, this masterclass on Women’s Health Preventive Care, is presented by the World Editors Forum’s Science in the Newsroom programme, in partnership with Roche. It aims to help journalists understand the challenges women in the region can face in relation to getting tested for gynaecological cancers and other conditions that respond well to early diagnosis. To assist their reporting on the subject, iIt will explore diagnostic gaps and implications, including cascade effects on subsequent care, patient quality of life and increased individual and public costs.

The masterclass will take a ‘solutions journalism’ approach to help reporters identify examples of best practice, and will encourage a journalism-as-service approach to storytelling that empowers communities to make better informed decisions about preventive care for women.

Topic Discussion

1. What do journalists and editors need to know about cervical cancer?
2. What is Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and how does it relate to cervical cancer?
3. What are the challenges to making cervical cancer prevention more accessible to women in the Asia-Pacific
4. What cultural-specific barriers can block women seeking preventive care?
5. What are the financial barriers to seeking HPV and cervical cancer screening?
6. How does the narrative on cervical cancer prevention need to shift?
7. What is the role of the media in raising awareness on making prevention, screening, and treatment more accessible to Asia-Pacific women?
8. Covering health and science issues as a generalist reporter and interviewing experts
9. Taking a solutions approach – including case studies
10. Story angles and next steps

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this masterclass, participants will be able to:

• Understand key terminology and approaches to women’s preventive care
• Understand social, cultural, and economic factors that can block women from seeking early diagnosis of preventable illness
• Report sensitively and appropriately on women’s health
• Understand the foundations of ‘Solutions Journalism’ as a journalistic approach
• Identify opportunities to use a solutions journalism approach in sharing examples of best practice in women’s preventive care