Daily Trust health editor Ojoma Akor is a finalist in the 2021 Global Nutrition and Food Security Reporting Contest.
Leon Lidigu, a Kenyan journalist, won first place, Srishti Jaswal from India took second place, while Akor took third place.
The award is presented by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) in collaboration with the Eleanor Crook Foundation, a US-based philanthropy dedicated solely to the fight against malnutrition.
ICFJ announced in a statement Wednesday that Akor finished third for them Story about a rural communitys efforts to stave off hunger among orphans.
“Congratulations to the winners of the Nutrition and Food Security Reporting Contest. The dynamic coverage of each participant serves as an important reminder of the incredible power of storytelling, ”said Will Moore, CEO of the Eleanor Crook Foundation.
“They represent the thousands of brave journalists around the world who work every day to bring more attention to underreporting issues, including the worsening global malnutrition crisis. These stories are key to ensuring vulnerable communities have access to life-saving care. “
The storytelling competition is part of a broader Global Nutrition and Food Security Reporting Fellowship program that provides training and resources to help journalists in the US and around the world better understand the impact of COVID-19 on global hunger, malnutrition and food security and ways to increase the resilience of the most vulnerable populations in a post-pandemic world.
Malnutrition is the leading cause of child death worldwide.
Akor has also won other international awards and grants, including the International Women’s Media Foundation’s (IWMF) Global Health Reporting Initiative, the International AIDS Society (IAS) media grant (multiple times), and the Merck Foundation Media Recognition Award.
