Bringing journalists from focus countries together in a regional forum supports a rich sharing of experience and the development of relationships that can later be accessed to highlight Data for Health work in those countries and shine a light on areas for ongoing CRVS system strengthening for governments.

From March 10-12, 2025, the Vital Strategies D4H team facilitated a three-day workshop in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire for journalists from the region. Twenty-five participants from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Niger, Senegal and Togo worked together to understand the value of CRVS data, as well as where to access it, how to interpret it and ways to use it in impactful storytelling and for celebrating government advancements in CRVS strengthening and highlighting areas for further improvement.

Journalists shared updates on social media during the workshop and several forms of media, including a podcast, have already been published. During the workshop, the journalists recognized the value of the workshop in enhancing their knowledge and skills and requested that this be extended into further sessions. They have also created new professional networks that will support their work moving forward.

The Vital Strategies D4H team will continue to engage with the journalists when media coverage will be beneficial for work in the region. Journalists will submit articles related to CRVS to their media houses and share them with the Vital team members. Among the topics that will be covered include geographic discrepancies in birth and death registration, the challenges to registration and sub-national examinations of maternal mortality by ethnicity.