Zofeen T. Ebrahim has been declared winner of the APNS-Key Journalist of the Year Award 2003 for her feature "Safe Passage" published in the Dawn's Weekly Review in December 2003. The award comprises a cash prize of Rs 25,000 and a shield. The award was presented at the APNS annual awards function held here on Monday.
All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) and Key Social Marketing announced the creation of the Key Journalist Award for Maternal and Child Health in 2002, to encourage excellence in reporting and to acknowledge the services of journalists in the field of reproductive health. The first award was given last year to Naziha Ghazali of Newsline magazine.
A crucial element in the nation's effort to improve maternal and child health conditions is the increased involvement of the print media. Motivating and educating the public about the many facets of the issues has been an ongoing objective of many journalists and the newspapers for which they write.
Articles about family planning issues and the need for male involvement, advances in health care, investigative pieces about substandard care practices, interviews with leading doctors, information on better nutrition practices, explanations about how to deal with side effects of contraceptives are all examples of the positive role journalists play.