The Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) has stated that the Nigeria Infodemics Management Team (NIMT) is trying to create confidence in the country during public health emergencies.
Mrs Ezioma Madu, Head Advocacy, Social Mobilization, (FMOH), stated this on Saturday at the conclusion of a four-day Nigeria Infodemic Management Team Review Workshop in Kano State.
Mrs Madu said that 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.
The workshop also gave an opportunity for state infodemic management teams to share their experiences, a step-down learning from the 2022 Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Summit in Morocco, and a review of the Nigeria Infodemic Management Operational standards.
She said that 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 that 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.
Mr Madu 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 represented The Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control & Prevention, Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, said that 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 that 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.”
He said that this is why building and strengthening infodemic management systems as a tool for risk communication and community engagement in the country is worth it.
NIMT held its first strategy workshop in 2023, which brought together the NIMT states and the national team over a four-day period to share lessons learned since the launch of the NCDC-hosted network, challenges faced and overcome, and the vision for the future.
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