Health Media Trends Report 2026: Govt, NGOs, Private Sector Urged to Invest More in African Journalists
By Kemi Akintokun
As Africa faces changes in global health financing, rising non-communicable diseases and outbreaks, FINN partners , a global marketing agency as highlighted the critical role of journalists as essential health partners.
Speaking during a virtual lunch of Africa Health Media Trends Report 2026, Mr Peter FINN, the Founder of FINN partners said health journalists are navigating shrinking donor funding and limited newsroom resources.
“We are at a pivotal moment for health communication in Africa when journalism is under-resourced, public health suffers.
“Strong health systems depend on strong media ecosystems, and that means treating journalists as essential partners, not just messengers.” he said.
The Africa Media trend 2026 is a new report informed by insights from journalists across 11 African countries and Western media that offers a ground-level view of the pressures, priorities, and opportunities shaping health journalism in the year ahead.
According to the report health journalism is under unprecedented strain at a moment of escalating public health challenges.
It also highlights a growing shift toward solutions-driven, Africa-led health storytelling that could reshape how health issues are covered in Africa based on insights from journalists, editors, and advocates across 11 African countries.
The report also offers a unique, ground-level view of how health stories are being reported and what is needed to strengthen journalism’s role in public health outcomes.
Speaking earlier,Dr Maryam Bigdeli, a Health System Specialist noted that shifts in global health financing have become a dominant media storyline, pushing countries to rethink health sovereignty, domestic financing, and local manufacturing.
Bigdeli, a former Representative of the World Health Organisation and Head of Mission in Morocco said health journalists work to translate policy changes into their real-world impact on communities.
She, however, urged that amid shifting global health priorities and financing constraints, African countries must focus on building resilient systems grounded in strong primary healthcare, sustainable financing, and accountable governance.
“How health issues are reported shapes public trust, policy prioritisation, and ultimately the strength of health systems.
“This report highlights the importance of locally driven solutions and evidence-based dialogue in advancing long-term health equity and system resilience across the continent,” she said.
Also, Sheriff Bojang, a journalist at the Africa Report, urged Journalists across the continent to cite African experts, researchers, and practitioners as primary authoritative sources, shifting the perception of Africa from a backdrop of crisis to a driver of solutions.
“Journalists are eager to tell impactful stories but are often hindered by a lack of resources and access to credible local experts.
“We are moving past simply reporting on Western studies; the priority now is localising global health news to show how it affects our communities.
” This report provides a vital roadmap for how health organisations can support the media so that accurate, potentially life-saving information reaches the public,” he said.
The Report concludes with a call to action for governments, funders, and the private sector to invest in local journalism, improve access to data and African experts, and build trust-based partnerships with media to strengthen public health outcomes.
