The Communications and Public Engagement Department facilitated interaction between journalists and researchers through a half-day monthly interactive meeting where 20 journalists from different media houses and two MLW researchers met.

The meeting, held on 6th August was aimed to enhance media understanding of health research and is part of the activities under the Journalist in Residence Project (JIR) in the communications department.

JIR aims at empowering journalists with basic health research knowledge through training and interaction with researchers and provides a platform for scientists to briefly discuss health research.

During the meeting, MLW’s Immunologist Dr. David Mzinza briefed the journalists on his study titled‘Understanding Tuberculosis Control by Human Lung Cells’ while Dr. Donnie Mategula shared progress on the Kuteteza Project and later discussed malaria treatment transmissions, prevention, and vaccine.

Dr. David Mzinza described the meeting as beneficial saying it helps scientists to understand journalists’ perceptions regarding clinical research.

One of the participating journalists from ‘101FM’ Linda Mzunga said Drs. Mzinza and Mategula managed to simplify some technical terms which helped the journalists to understand how tuberculosis is controlled in human lung cells.

“I have always wondered why people who are HIV positive are at higher risk of contracting TB but today, I will walk out of this meeting with knowledge that this happens when the immune system is compromised and fragile.”