Mercedes Sayagues has transformed health reporting in Mozambique. Before her fellowship began, newspaper reporting on health issues was confined to publishing press releases from government offices or carrying paid features created by UNICEF and other agencies. Those reports were focused on a handful of diseases on the agenda of those agencies, notably malaria, TB and AIDS.

Sayagues created a regular health section at Savana, the prominent weekly newspaper, which has redefined health reporting in the country. Savana publisher Fernando Lima credits Sayagues with introducing new health topics to the public through the pages of his newspaper, including reproductive health, teenage pregnancy, mental health, pediatric heart disease, cholera, alcohol abuse and the role of traditional medicine.

Savana has been trendsetting: The government-owned daily Noticias now has a weekly health page for the first time. The weekly magazine Domingo now emulates Savana’s center spreads on health issues, and the online publication Verdade carries more health stories, often following Savana’s lead on topics. Savana reporters have won national and regional awards for their work, making the health beat more exciting to other reporters.

Sayagues has also offered training courses to journalists outside of Savana, including those in regions outside the capital city Maputo, as she builds a national network of health reporters. Her work has attracted funding from the Open Society Foundations, UNICEF, Women in Law in Southern Africa and others. This year, she will produce a Portuguese-language training manual on covering reproductive health.