The Special Advisor to the President of Réseau des Médias Africains pour la Promotion de la Santé et de l’Environnement (REMAPSEN), Boubacar Sow, has concluded a three-day working visit to Ghana as part of preparations toward this year’s REMAPSEN Media Forum and Awards Ceremony.

The visit was aimed at engaging state actors, development partners, the REMAPSEN Ghana Members and key national media houses to introduce the network and solicit institutional support for the upcoming continental gathering.

The event is expected to attract over 200 journalists, government officials and development partners from across Africa. The forum and awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in Accra between the first and second week of October 2026.

The delegation was received by the West and Central Africa Regional Coordinator for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health at REMAPSEN, who is also the National Coordinator for REMAPSEN Ghana, Emefa A. Ewoenam Atiamoah Eli.

They were accompanied by members of the Ghana chapter’s board, including General Secretary Benjamin Nii Martey of Peace FM and Okay FM, Focal Person in charge of State-owned Radio, Abraham Donkor of GBC Radio; Lydia Kukua Asamoah, who is Sub-Editor and the Focal Person for Environment, Muniratu Akwelley Issah, who is also from the Ghana News Agency.

The Deputy National Coordinator for RMEPASEN, Sarah Apenkroh of Media General and Partnership Lead, Seyram Abla Desousa of JoyNews, were also part of the team.

During the visit, Mr. Sow paid a courtesy call on the Office of the Minister of Government Communications at the Presidency, where he met with Felix Kwakye Ofosu to discuss collaboration opportunities ahead of the Accra conference.

He also engaged officials at Ghana’s Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation, with discussions focusing on strengthening partnerships around maternal, newborn and child health communication and advocacy.

As part of efforts to deepen media participation, the delegation visited newsrooms of leading media organisations, including Graphic Communications Group Limited, The Multimedia Group Limited, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and Media General.

At the Graphic Communications Group Limited, the delegation was received by the newsroom leadership.

Among them were Chief Sub-Editor, Zakaria Alhassan, Night Editor, Samuel Stephenson Bio, News Editor, Samuel Doe Ablordeppeh and the Health/Gender Page Editor, Rebecca Quaicoe Duho.

The team promised to provide the necessary media support for this year’s REMAPSEN Forum and Awards.

General Manager of Joy Brands, Fiifi Koomson and JoyNews Senior News Editor, Evans Mensah, hosted the team at the Multimedia Group Limited. 

Mr. Koomsoon commended members of the Network for setting aside time as journalists on the continent to give back to society and wished them well in the upcoming conference.

They later visited the state-owned broadcasting house – Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, where they were met by the Head of News-GBC NEWS, Alswell Yorke, Supervising Editor, Ebenezer Aryee and the Head of Political Desk, Alex Adi.

The Manager in charge of News Planning and Administration, Cyril Dogbe, welcomed the delegation to Media General Ghana while assuring support from the company to ensure a successful and smooth conference in Accra in October.

The upcoming Accra forum builds on the momentum of the last REMAPSEN Media Forum and Awards Ceremony held in Cotonou, Benin, in January 2026, where Ghana made a strong impression.

The Ghana chapter received notable recognition for its contributions to health and environmental reporting, while the National Coordinator, Emefa A. Ewoenam Atiamoah Eli, was honoured for her work in advancing coverage on neglected tropical diseases, underscoring Ghana’s growing influence within the network.

REMAPSEN, a pan-African media network, has, over the years, played a pivotal role in strengthening journalism around health and environmental issues across the continent.

Through targeted trainings, fellowships and collaborative reporting initiatives, the organisation has supported journalists to produce impactful, data-backed stories that shape public discourse and influence policy, particularly in critical areas such as maternal and child health, infectious diseases and environmental sustainability.

This year’s forum in Accra is expected to place significant emphasis on maternal, newborn and child health, with support from key partners. Beyond the discussions and knowledge-sharing sessions, the awards ceremony "Prix Michel Sidibe" will once again celebrate excellence in journalism, recognising reporters whose work continues to drive awareness and action on pressing health and environmental challenges across Africa.

With Ghana set to host the 2026 edition, the annual REMAPSEN Media Forum and Awards ceremony presents an important opportunity to further position the country as a hub for impactful, solutions-driven journalism on the continent.