Nation Media Group’s Elizabeth Merab on Wednesday, March 9 won a prestigious Global Universal Health Coverage award due to her contribution to health journalism across Africa.
Africa Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC) 2021 in conjunction with Amref Health Africa celebrated Merab for her reporting and investigative skills, noting that her journalism skills had resulted in major changes in health-related issues.
“Your investigative undertakings on reporting major health issues have led to significant changes in health policies in Kenya and that is a true example of journalism with an impact. Your tireless effort to ensure access to the right information, and your consistent call to governments to prioritize health issues is a stellar example of journalism with a positive impact,” the AHAIC 2021 coordinating committee said while issuing the award.
Merab was awarded alongside other Global Health Leaders including the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The Africa Health Leadership on Covid-19 Award was given to Dr. John Nkengasong and Dr. Matshidiso Moeti.
Merab while speaking to kenyans.co.ke said that today's award was one of the biggest to her career and especially because of being honored alongside global leaders.
"The award is a show of appreciation for what the media does in covering health and science. Without the media health changes in the world would not be possible and I am glad to be part of that change,"
In 2017, she won another science award for the Next Generation of Science Journalists Award.
After the 2017 award, she was invited to participate in the World Health Summit in Berlin Germany in October of the same year.
One of her memorable stories was in 2018 when she investigated how a surgery mix-up had happened at Kenyatta National Haopital (KNH).
Her story indicated that the doctors at KNH had operated on the wrong patient which has since brought changes at the facility.
