By Solange Tegwi
The power of the journalist’s microphone, camera, and pen remains unparalleled in modern society. This sentiment echoes the historic conviction of Thomas Jefferson, who famously preferred a press without a government over a government without a press, thereby cementing the media’s role as the “fourth estate”.
Despite the challenges of the digital age and the occasional infiltration of the profession by “charlatans,” the media remains as indispensable as a fine wine refined by time. Indeed, as recent events in Cotonou have shown, a journalist’s broadcast can save as many lives as a doctor’s medicine, by illuminating that which has been long cast into the shadows.
This perspective was championed by Dr Michel Sidibé, the former Minister of Health for Mali and former Executive Director of UNAIDS, during the closing ceremony of the REMAPSEN forum on the elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Benin. Dr Sidibé, who also served as the African Union’s Special Envoy for the African Medicines Agency, argued that NTDs persist only because they exist in the shadows; once illuminated by public discourse, they can be defeated. The forum concluded with the awarding of prizes to journalists and communicators across Africa who have transformed silent suffering into a collective national emergency.
The prestigious “Michel Sidibé Prize” was established to celebrate those who turn the invisible into a national priority and bring the struggles of forgotten villages to the forefront of political debate. In a proud moment for Central Africa, Cameroon, represented by its national coordinator, Prince Mpondo emerged third in the continental rankings.
The nation was celebrated for its courageous refusal to let the suffering of its citizens become normalized. This recognition coincided with the International Day for the Control of NTDs, a symbolic day of remembrance for the millions of men, women, and children who continue to perish far from the global spotlight.
At this fourth media forum organized by the African Media Network for the Promotion of Health, Environment, Gender, and Human Rights (REMAPSEN), professionals made a solemn vow: never again would a disease be neglected for a lack of a voice. The gathered journalists pledged to name these conditions, show their impact, and refuse to let them remain invisible. The forum underscored the transformative potential of the media, noting that a single camera lens can push back social stigma and a well-researched article can trigger a high-level political decision. When a newsroom decides that a neglected disease warrants a national debate, the path to eradication truly begins.