Johannesburg, South Africa

According to the organisers, Africa Media Assignments, the Health Reporting Conference 2008 aims to provide a platform to encourage dialogue, debate, and networking, on issues related to the conference theme - "Exploring the Benefits of Consistent and Accurate Healthcare Reporting in South Africa". Presentations, case studies, a workshop, and discussions will focus on ethics, patient rights, emerging issues in health care, public sector challenges in health care reporting, “biologics”, media relations, and the needs of the Local Organising Committee in respect of health and safety reporting in the build-up to 2010.

The conference seeks to explore and encourage discussion on a number of questions. What is the current state of health reporting? Who is providing the information and who is reporting? What are the key differences between the science of medicine and health reporting? Where are the major gaps in reporting, in terms of skills and understanding of the science of health? What about the willingness and/or ability of media to cover the issues on the table? What is the way forward?

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The Health Reporting Conference 2008 hopes to attract a diverse mix of delegates, representing the medical, science, and health care media, as well as both public and private sector role players, and their advertising, marketing, and public relations service providers. To encourage the participation of as many health, science, and medical media as possible, attendance at the conference is free of charge to accredited journalists.