Infodemics Team Builds Trust In Health Emergencies – FG

The Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) has said the Nigeria Infodemics Management Team (NIMT) is working to build trust during Public Health emergencies in the country.
Head Advocacy, Social Mobilisation, FMOH, disclosed this at the end of a four-day Nigeria Infodemic Management Team Review Workshop, on Saturday in Kano.
The Tide source reports that the workshop also provided an opportunity to share experiences from state infodemic management teams, a step-down learning from the 2022 Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Summit in Morocco and review the Nigeria Infodemic Management Operational guidelines.
Madu said the COVID-19 pandemic incited an unprecedented infodemic, highlighting the impact of misinformation, disinformation, and information disseminated with mal-intent on the effectiveness of public health action and national health security.
She said the four-day workshop examined the country’s public health infodemics, the COVID-19 infodemic, the impact of infodemics on trust in the public health enterprise, and tools and practices to address infodemics.
She said the workshop built on what is known about risk and crisis communication to generate actionable, targeted insights that state, local, and community-based organisations and officials can take to prevent and respond to the negative health effects of an infodemic.
“Specifically, participants and discussants developed a shared understanding of the modern health information ecosystem and examined the impact of infodemics during public health emergency (PHE).
“We examined the public health skills, capacities, and policies that are needed to manage infodemics during a PHE and throughout the disaster management cycle.
“We identified the roles, responsibilities, and partnerships among all relevant organizations and agencies in managing infodemics during a PHE”, she explained.
She added that the NIMT also examined interventions to mitigate the harmful effects of infodemics “mis-, dis-, and malformation” and identify research gaps.
Dr Yahya Disu, who stood in for The Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control & Prevention, Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, said in a world where information flows freely and rapidly, it was important to ensure that Nigerians have access to accurate and reliable information, especially during any pandemic.
Disu said infodemics, or the overabundance of information, both true and false, can be overwhelming, confusing, and can lead to the spread of misinformation, distrust, and fear.
According to him, “this is particularly true in the context of pandemics, where accurate and timely information is essential to curb the spread of the disease and instill trust within communities”.