Feature Content

WHO Announces 3rd Global Infodemic Manager Training Course

WHO and partners are delighted to announce the 3rd Global Infodemic Manager training. This course extends on previous training to build skills and practice in infodemic management. The skills required by infodemic managers to identify, monitor, and respond to the infodemic are vital tools in pandemic response and this training has been highly valued by past participants. 

Application to the training will be extended through a wide range of partner organisations who will be asked to nominate individuals to take part. WHO and partners invite applications from experienced professionals from the fields of epidemiology, behavioural science, risk communication, health service delivery/health care workers, digital health, policy making, who are responding to the current COVID-19 and overlapping infodemics at country level.

The training will take place over four weeks starting 15 November 2021, across two time zones.

Read more here

Image credit: Sam Bradd

Opportunities for Action

Call for Papers | Addressing Misinformation to Promote Evidence-Informed Healthcare

The BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine Journal is calling for papers for an upcoming special issue on misinformation. The scope covers misinformation, challenges for disseminating reliable information, guidance for stakeholders, and information literacy. Submissions are due 10 November 2021.

Read more here

Call for Proposals | Internet Freedom Fund 

The Open Technology Fund aims to support projects and ideas that advance inclusive and safe access to global communications networks, counteract censorship and surveillance, and mitigate digital security threats to Internet freedom specifically for at-risk-users, journalists, human rights defenders, civil society activists and others living in repressive environments. The Internet Freedom Fund is inviting applications for funding in the areas of Technology Development, Applied Research, Digital Security Support, and Events.

Read more here

Call for Abstracts | International Conference on Futures of Media

The fourth Futures of Media conference will aim to shed light on the complex relationships between media and power, and information and politics. A call for abstracts is out with topic areas including the dangers of fake news, imbalances of media coverage, the virus and the media, and surveillance and censorship. Abstracts are due 30 September 2021, and the conference will be held 21-22 January 2022.

Read more here

Call for Applications | Global Research Nurses Pump Priming Awards 2021

A small grants scheme is open offering £2,000 or £10,000 for nursing- and midwifery-led research projects relevant to low and middle income countries. The grants are intended for activities relating to questioning, understanding, and optimising nursing and midwifery research. There is possible scope for infodemic projects and the impact of health misinformation on patients and health professionals. Proposals are due 17 September 2021.

Read more here 

Job Opportunities

• WHO: Consultant en gestion d'infodémie (Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo)
• WHO: Consultant - Develop a comprehensive EPI communication strategy (Amman, Jordan)
• First Draft: Director of Programs (Remote)
• First Draft: Deputy Director (Remote)
• The International Foundation for Electoral Systems: Media Education Consultant (United States)
• CDC Foundation: Vaccine Demand Strategist, Nationwide Talent Pipeline (Remote)
• University of Washington: Research Scientist, Center for an Informed Public (Seattle, United States)

Upcoming Events

1st Annual World Field Epidemiology Day: Celebrating Our Public Health 'Disease Detectives' | 7 September 2021 

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the work of field epidemiologists, and this year will see the first World Field Epidemiology Day. Coordinated by TEPHINET, the day will recognise and raise awareness of the role of field epidemiologists in protecting the health of populations. Ensuring quality data for evidence-based decision-making and information dissemination is a key foundation of managing an infodemic and identifying early threats to public health.

Dr Sonia Boender, graduate from the 2nd WHO Global Infodemic Manager training, published a perspective piece with colleagues on social media for field epidemiologists in the context of this inaugural day of recognition.

Read more about the event here

Dame Sarah Gilbert: Developing the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine | 6 October 2021

In October Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert will deliver the Elizabeth Blackwell Annual Public Lecture. Dame Sarah will describe the journey of developing the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as well as discussing vaccine hesitancy and how trust in science is affected by science communication. The event is free and online.

Register here

Building a Scientific Evidence Base for Combating Misleading Information on Biological Threats | 7 September 2021 

This is the fourth in a series of public meetings under the theme of ‘Addressing Inaccurate and Misleading Information about Biological Threats through Scientific Collaboration and Communication’. Hosted by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the meeting will discuss misinformation, disinformation and science communication with a focus on Southeast Asia.

Find out more here

Global Fact 8 | 20 - 23 October 2021 

The Global Fact 8 conference will be held online from the 20 - 23 October 2021. The conference is dedicated to fact-checking worldwide and will bring together experts to discuss misinformation on a global scale. Speakers include representatives from WHO, First Draft, International Fact-Checking Network and Full Fact, among many others. 

Find out more here

Global Summit on Disinformation with Focus on Latin America | 1 & 2 October 2021

The Inter-American Press Association, the Desconfio Project of Argentina, and the Foundation for Journalism of Bolivia are promoting the First Global Summit on Disinformation with a focus on Latin America. The event, which has the support of Hacks/Hackers, will be online and will take place online on 1-2 October 2021.

Read more and register here 

Recent Events

Infodemic: A Stanford Conference on Social Media and COVID-19 Misinformation

The recent Stanford Infodemic conference brought together experts in social media, cyber policy, public health, and biomedical ethics for COVID-19 discussions. Key messages from the day included the importance of building trust as part of preparedness, increasing the transparency of policy decisions, the need for enhanced global collaboration, and how effective science communication can help inform decision-making.

Recordings of individual sessions will be posted soon, but for those who can’t wait to re-watch, you can view the conference here (starting at 10:15min). Have a look at the agenda for the order of presentations.

Preventing Misinformation During the COVID-19 Pandemic | 17 August 2021

The Wikimedia foundation is a non-profit that hosts Wikipedia, the free online encyclopaedia curated by global volunteers. The Foundation recently hosted a panel discussion titled ‘Preventing Misinformation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Wikipedia, public health experts, and news media can collaborate to share trustworthy knowledge in times of crisis’. 

Find out more about the event here

Watch the recording here

Misinformation and the COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign | 25 August 2021 

The Public Health Review Podcast featured a recent episode with Nirav Shah (Director, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and Joe Smyser (CEO, the Public Good Projects). They were discussing Maine CDC’s social media strategy, and how health agencies can leverage existing expertise to counter misinformation, and stay up to date with challenges at the intersection of traditional media, social media, and health information.

Listen to the podcast here

What We're Reading

Fun With Numbers

If it’s been a while since you checked in with the COVIDGeo Misinformation Dashboard, you may be surprised to hear that since 22 January 2020, a network of fact-checking partners has tracked, visualised and fact-checked 6,960 COVID-19 claims. This includes 1,453 in the United States, 954 in India and 99 in Australia. The handy portal contains links to the various fact-checking websites and shows the claim, country and date of review.

Check it out here. 

About the News Flash

An infodemic is an overabundance of information—some accurate, some not—that spreads alongside a disease outbreak. Infodemics are nothing new, but in the digital age, they spread in real time and create a breeding ground for uncertainty. Uncertainty fuels skepticism and distrust, which is a perfect environment for fear, anxiety, finger-pointing, stigma, violent aggression and dismissal of proven public health measures. To manage an infodemic, we need to understand what contributes to it. So that’s why we’re sending you these updates. In each issue of the WHO’s Infodemic Management News Flash we’ll share the latest work happening at the global level, as well as highlight some of the challenges and solutions with infodemics in local contexts. We’ll also provide you with a few takeaways to help you be an effective infodemic manager in your daily life.

If you have a tip on infodemic management or an idea for a future News Flash, email us at infodemicmanagement@who.int. Thanks for joining us on this journey.