The workshop is a collaborative effort between WHO and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has emphasised the importance of effective social media use in public health communication, particularly during disease outbreaks.
According to Walter Mulombo, the WHO Nigeria Country Representative, developing social media strategies for implementing and monitoring information on social media is crucial before, during, and after disease outbreaks.
Mr Mulombo, who was represented by the Acting State Coordinator for WHO in Lagos, Memuna Esan, at a three-day workshop in Lagos, stressed that awareness creation, prompt monitoring and dissemination of accurate information are essential to disease control and behaviour change.
About workshop
The workshop, tagged, 'Effective Risk Communication and Infodemic Management in the Context of Surge,' is a collaborative effort between WHO and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
Strengthening and Utilising Response Groups for Emergencies Initiative (SURGE) is an initiative of the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) to effectively prepare, detect, and respond to emergencies.
The workshop held from 29 November to 1 December was funded by the Canadian government through the CanGiVE project.
The workshop includes representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Education, Environment, National Orientation Agency, News Agency of Nigeria, National Youth Service Corp, and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria Bond FM, among others.
Infodemic management
Speaking at the workshop, NCDC's Head of the Risk Communication Department, Hannatu Bello said the workshop is aimed at building the capacity of national stakeholders for accurate and timely dissemination of information.
Mrs Bello noted that there is a need to strengthen the infodemic management structure at the national level.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Mohammad Pate,, represented by Ezioma Madu, the Deputy Director of the Health Promotion Division, highlighted the timeliness of the workshop.
Ms Madu emphasised that social media is a major medium for disseminating information during public health emergencies, which can sometimes breed misinformation.
