Eight journalists were awarded within the contest “Equal chances of survival for all the children” that was organized by the Moldovan-Swiss Project REPEMOL – Regionalization of the Pediatric Emergency and Intensive Care Services in Moldova. The contest was held within the national communication campaign “A danger-free home for you child”, which was financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation through the Foundation “Center for Health Policies and Services”, IPN reports.
The thematic areas of the campaign are: poisonings, burns, traumas, drownings, and road accidents involving children. In order to take part in the contest, the journalists presented by at least four articles and three reports or recordings of two TV/radio programs. The prizes varied between 2,000 and 4,000 lei.
In the Print Media category, the prizes went to journalists Lilia Zaharia Kravchenko (the Association of Independent Press) and Daniela Borodachi (“Ziarul de Garda”). In the “Audio” category, there were awarded three reporters of Radio Moldova – Veronica Mungiu, Alina Chiriac Ivascu, and Olga Stavila. In the “Video” category, prizes were offered to reporters Dina Ivanov (Prime TV) and Natalia Rotari (Impuls TV). The special prize “Most Active Journalist” of 5,000 lei, which was given by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation as the supporter of the REPEMOL Project, went to Luminita Alexandreanu of Radio Moldova.
Jury head Ion Bunduchi said that if the journalists produce materials with the aim of having an impact, it will happen so as you never know what drop will destroy the stone.
REPEMOL coordinator Silvia Morgoci urged the journalists to think that their articles can save the life of a child when they write them. Valeriu Sava, coordinator of the health program of the Local Office of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, said the orientation to the ordinary people must be amplified by written, audio and video messages.
Oleg Creciun, head of the Emergency Admissions Department of the Cahul District Hospital, said that about 200,000 families in Moldova need information about how to protect their children from dangers in their own home.
According to the Health Management Center of the Health Ministry, Moldova ranks third among the countries with the highest infant death rate. Twenty-two children are involved in home accidents, eight being of an early age. One child dies weekly owing to the risks faced at home.
