WHO acts to stop misinformation about nCoV
Published Feb 9, 2020 12:00 am
By Analou De Vera
The World Health Organization (WHO) has set up measures to curb the spread of misinformation about the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (AFP Photo/Fabrice COFFRINI/ FILE)
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the importance of knowing the actual facts about the novel coronavirus, saying that people must have "access to accurate information to protect themselves and others."
"While the virus spreads, misinformation makes the job of our heroic health workers even harder. It is diverting the attention of decision makers and it causes confusion and spreads fear to the general public, said Ghebreyesus in his opening remarks during a media briefing on Saturday which was broadcasted live at the WHO's official Twitter page.
"At WHO, we're not just battling the virus; we're also battling the trolls and conspiracy theorists that push misinformation and undermine the outbreak response," he added.
Ghebreyesus said that the organization's risk communications and infodemic management team is tracking the sources of misinformation.
"WHO's infodemics team is working hand in glove with our communications department to deliver information to a broader public audience. This includes addressing rumors by publishing 'myth busters' and Live Q&A interviews with experts--on our website and social media channels and through the media," he said.
The WHO also tapped different search and social media platforms such as Google, Facebook, Tencent, Baidu, Twitter, TikTok, Weibo, Pinterest, among others to help in spreading the right information about the novel coronavirus.
"We are asking them to filter out false information and promote accurate information from credible sources like WHO, CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and others," said the WHO official.
The organization also asked the help of some influencers on Instagram and Youtube in a bid to spread "factual messages to their followers."
"In essence, to fight the flood of misinformation, we are building a band of truth-tellers that disperse fact and debunk myths," said Ghebreyesus.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (AFP Photo/Fabrice COFFRINI/ FILE)
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the importance of knowing the actual facts about the novel coronavirus, saying that people must have "access to accurate information to protect themselves and others."
"While the virus spreads, misinformation makes the job of our heroic health workers even harder. It is diverting the attention of decision makers and it causes confusion and spreads fear to the general public, said Ghebreyesus in his opening remarks during a media briefing on Saturday which was broadcasted live at the WHO's official Twitter page.
"At WHO, we're not just battling the virus; we're also battling the trolls and conspiracy theorists that push misinformation and undermine the outbreak response," he added.
Ghebreyesus said that the organization's risk communications and infodemic management team is tracking the sources of misinformation.
"WHO's infodemics team is working hand in glove with our communications department to deliver information to a broader public audience. This includes addressing rumors by publishing 'myth busters' and Live Q&A interviews with experts--on our website and social media channels and through the media," he said.
The WHO also tapped different search and social media platforms such as Google, Facebook, Tencent, Baidu, Twitter, TikTok, Weibo, Pinterest, among others to help in spreading the right information about the novel coronavirus.
"We are asking them to filter out false information and promote accurate information from credible sources like WHO, CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and others," said the WHO official.
The organization also asked the help of some influencers on Instagram and Youtube in a bid to spread "factual messages to their followers."
"In essence, to fight the flood of misinformation, we are building a band of truth-tellers that disperse fact and debunk myths," said Ghebreyesus.