Misinformation & disinformation in health sector a monstrous enemy, says Health Minister of Kenya
Misinformation & disinformation are dangerously impacting the health sector in Africa. “This is a monstrous enemy that threatens to erode progress made in the health sector in Africa” said Kenyan Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe during the launch of a series of regional trainings on the impact of COVID-19 on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Africa. He further called for concerted efforts among the different stakeholders to hold structured dialogues and have vibrant media-and-expert engagements, welcoming the launch of a journalism training series to tackle health misinformation in Africa.
The continent-wide trainings aim to strengthen the capacity of African journalists to effectively report about the pandemic and NCDs in a sustainable, factual and accurate manner, based on evidence. They will be conducted as a series of webinars touching on issues that were identified as gaps by respondents in an information and needs assessment among the journalists and the public in East, West, South, North and Central African regions, supported by UNESCO and carried out by ISAAAfrica.
The trainings are coordinated by UNESCO Addis Liaison Office to the African Union and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, in partnership with ISAAAAfrica, within the framework of the EU-funded project “#CoronavirusFacts, Addressing the ‘Disinfodemic on COVID-19” and the UNESCO Multi-donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists.
Bringing together science experts, journalists and media development partners, discussions at the launch focused on the impact of COVID-19 on the fight against NCDs and the need to build journalists’ understanding of and capacity to communicate information on COVID-19 and NCDs in the ‘disinfodemic era’.
“I applaud efforts by UNESCO, ISAAA, Kenya National Academy of Sciences and partners geared towards combating misinformation and disinformation about COVID-19 and NCDs.”
- Mutahi Kagwe, Cabinet Secretary of Health of Kenya
Speaking at the launch, Josephine Kalinauckas, the European Union Head of the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments Regional Team in East and Southern Africa, appreciated the initiative and called on creating more linkages with civic education work of civil society organisations working to address COVID-19 disinformation. She also echoed Kenya Health Cabinet Secretary Kagwe’s appreciation for UNESCO, ISAAAAfrica and partners, for taking actions geared towards combating misinformation and disinformation about COVID-19 and NCDs in Africa.
Yumiko Yokozeki, the Director of UNESCO Addis Ababa Liaison office to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, highlighted some of the additional resources that the project has developed. “So far, and within this framework, UNESCO has supported a regional assessment by ISAAAAfrica on Knowledge and Information Needs Assessment in Africa. We have also collaborated with AfricaCheck in developing fact-checking tool kits and training resources for media on health-related information. Currently and in partnership with the African Union Pan African Virtual and E-Learning University (AU PAVEU), ISAAAAfrica and AfricaCheck, are developing manuals for the courses on communicating health sciences and fact-checking health information that will be delivered through the AU PAVEU training platforms.
ISAAAfrica center in partnership with the National Academies of Science have also launched the African life science hub. “The objective of this hub is to bridge the widening gap between science and society by timely intervening to correct any misinformation about NCDs and COVID-19 pandemic as relates to agricultural innovations” said Dr. Margaret Karembu, Director, ISAAA AfriCenter, & Chair, Africa Life Science Knowledge Hub.