Three Indian journalists – Dinesh C Sharma (middle), Vidya Krishnan (left) and Nabeela Khan – have been selected this year for the International Health Media Fellowships awarded by the Australian high commission and DataLEADS.

Three Indian journalists – Dinesh C Sharma, Vidya Krishnan and Nabeela Khan – have been selected this year for the International Health Media Fellowships awarded by the Australian high commission and DataLEADS.

The fellowship will provide the journalists an opportunity to examine public health programmes in Australia with a focus on digital health, medical technology and health systems.

Australian envoy Harinder Sidhu said the fellowships are the first cooperation activity after India and Australia signed a memorandum of understanding on health and medicine during the recent visit of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

The two countries have worked closely together on several health initiatives, ranging from research on communicable disease such as tuberculosis and dengue, partnering on road safety and trauma care, and sharing experience in non-communicable disease policy.

The fellowship program will be designed by the Australian department of foreign affairs and trade with inputs from leading Indian health experts.

Dinesh C Sharma is managing editor of India Science Wire and a journalist with more than 30 years of experience of reporting on science, technology, innovation, health, medicine and environment-related issues.

Vidya Krishnan is health editor of The Hindu with experience in covering public health. She holds a master’s degree in critical media and cultural studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Nabeela Khan is deputy editor at Health Analytics India, the country’s first data-driven journalism website dedicated to healthcare reporting.

Syed Nazakat, founder of DataLEADS said, “Health is often a neglected subject in newsrooms. The fellowship will provide three shortlisted journalists an excellent chance to examine public health programmes in Australia more deeply.”

[“source-ndtv”]