Global Winners of Reporting Contest Target Maternal and Child Health

By: ICFJ | 09/22/2014

Journalists from Brazil, China, India and Russia were winners of a journalism competition on coverage of maternal and child health reporting. In multimedia and broadcast reports, the winning journalists addressed the hurdles their countries' healthcare providers face in the areas of maternal and child health reporting. Winning submissions ranged from the declining rates of breastfeeding in China to teaching art therapy to children with HIV in Russia.

The contest, administered by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and funded by Johnson & Johnson, aimed to stimulate coverage of important maternal-and-child health issues in these countries. An international panel of judges selected the winning journalists from more than 50 submissions. The four winners participated in a 10-day study tour of the United States. They met leading global health experts in Washington, D.C., Atlanta and New York. Each also received a $1,000 cash prize.

The winners are:

Brazil

Mariana Della Barba is a São Paulo-based journalist with BBC Brasil. Prior to working for the BBC, she worked for the daily Estado de Sao Paulo and Veja magazine. She has written extensively about family issues. Her winning submission focused on Brazil leading the world in Cesarean-Section deliveries.

Read her winning story here

China

Yuan Duanduan, a reporter for Southern Weekend, ranks among China’s best environmental and health journalists. She has reported extensively on those issues over the past two years, covering everything from soil pollution to the safety of baby formula. Her winning submissions focused on cervical cancer, the decline of breastfeeding in China and infantile spasms in newborns.

Read her winning story here

India

Priyanka Vora is a principal correspondent with the Hindustan Times where she covers health and medical ethics. Priyanka's winning submissions focused on maternal deaths in Mumbai due to tuberculosis and dengue.

Read her winning story here

Russia

Olga Komarevtseva studied TV and radio journalism, directing and acting in Vladivostok. In 2011, she moved to Saint Petersburg to study and make documentary movies. Komarevtseva mainly works with children, exemplified by her winning submission, which focuses on art therapy for children with HIV.

Watch her winning documentary here

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