Opportunities beckon on Print, broadcast and online journalists in Brazil, China, India, Russia and Sub-Saharan Africa to compete for the 2017 Global Health Reporting Contest of the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ).

Otherwise known as the Johnson & Johnson Global Health Reporting Contest, it is one of ICFJ’s flagship programs which have increased the quality and quantity of news coverage on key health issues in targeted countries and regions across the globe.

Now in its fourth year, ICFJ’s 2017 Global Health Reporting Contest seeks to continue building on the program’s previous years’ successes by catalyzing local networks of leading health reporters in Brazil, China, India, Russia, and sub-Saharan Africa.

This year, the program will offer reporting grants to former contest winners with the aim of spurring additional high-quality storytelling on health topics.

Journalists in the targeted countries have the opportunity to participate in a 12-day study tour in the United States and receive cash prizes as part of regional competitions to recognize high quality coverage of maternal and child health, as well as other urgent health matters such as diseases and vaccinations.

To qualify for the contest, stories must focus on key health topics in the journalists’ regions and be published, broadcasted, or posted online in Brazil, China, India, Russia, or sub-Saharan Africa between Wednesday, February 1st, 2017 and Monday, July 31st, 2017. The deadline for submitting stories is Monday, July 31st, 2017.

Contest topics may include (but is not limited to):

• Reducing maternal, infant and child mortality;

• Reducing disease transmission from mother to child;

• Preventing malnutrition;

• Improving delivery of care and infrastructure for maternal and child health;

• Responses to the Ebola epidemic;

• Innovative approaches to delivery of vaccines.

Journalists from each country must be employed by print, broadcast, or online media in order to qualify. The contest is also open to affiliated freelance journalists with a letter confirming their work by an editor. Submitted work must have appeared in a media outlet based in each region or distributed mainly in the region. Submissions will be accepted in English, French (Africa), Hindi (India), Mandarin/Cantonese (China), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian (Russia). Submissions in other languages must include an English translation. Applicants may submit more than one entry.

Previous contests include the 2014 Global Health Reporting Contest, 2015 Global Health Reporting Contest, and 2016 Global Health Reporting Contest. This program is made possible with the support of Johnson & Johnson.

Johnson & Johnson operates in Nigeria as Johnson Wax Nigeria Ltd and later SC Johnson quoted on the Nigeria Stock exchange (NSE). The company was set up in 1970 making it one of the leading multinational companies in the leading West African sub-regional market. It arrays of product brands include Baygon, Reid, Rambo, Glade, Johnson Baby range, Kiwi to mention just a few.