The COVID-19, monkeypox, and other outbreaks are being addressed by the developing WHO global infodemic manager community of practice.
Every epidemic and pandemic is accompanied by an infodemic, which calls for new public health skill sets to comprehend and address the deluge of information, including misinformation and disinformation. The tools, resources, and experience made accessible by WHO to develop more infodemic managers internationally have evolved together with the COVID-19 pandemic. Three global infodemic management trainings, many country-level trainings, and a thorough training to enhance COVID-19 vaccination uptake have all been performed by the community to date.
There are many materials accessible, including more than 100 hours of lectures, one-of-a-kind simulation exercises, and useful tools to assist infodemic managers in tracking infodemics in their nations. Since completing their education, alumni have assisted one another by exchanging knowledge, resources, and expertise in understanding infodemic signals.
Many trainees’ career trajectories have been positively changed by these trainings. I regard infodemic management as a long-term commitment and career trajectory, according to Australian trainee Hazel Wallace, who joined Australia’s primary healthcare network as a COVID-19 Communication & Vaccine Demand Officer immediately after the training. Fact-checkers at Health Analytics Asia, Infodemic Managers at WHO, UNICEF country offices, and Doctors Without Borders have all emerged from the training program (MSF). Even within their own institutions, some people were successful in pushing for the formation of infodemic management posts.
Additionally, Ministries of Health now have infodemic managers who have received WHO training in primary healthcare systems, national or provincial public health departments, and national emergency response task forces. Sonia Boender, a qualified field epidemiologist, was hired earlier this year as an infodemic manager within the Risk Communication Unit at the Robert Koch-Institute (RKI), Germany’s national public health institute. With technical assistance from the WHO Infodemic Management team and partners, she is presently concentrating on setting up procedures for social listening and integrated insights analysis for public health. The University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Medicine in Serbia has developed the Laboratory for Infodemiology and Infodemic Management. Two infodemic managers working at the World Health Organization’s Serbian Country Office
Graduates have modified training resources to meet national needs. With new courses being offered to journalists, doctors, community leaders, and public servants that have the support of the Ministry of Health (MOH) and with the announcement of a first national event, trainees in Italy have made remarkable progress toward cascading infodemic management competencies. In order to address regional infodemic issues, Nigeria is now implementing a national infodemic management training program at the state level.
Trainees are designing courses, seminars, presentations at conferences, panel discussions, webinars, and research projects to enhance the subject of infodemic management together. New curriculum on information crisis management is being introduced by trainees at academic institutions all around the world. With the Rede de Infodemiologica Lusofona, Portugal and Brazil have formally joined forces to disseminate information internationally, and Serbia and the United States have established a formal partnership through the Fulbright Specialist program between the University of Belgrade and New York University. Several other trainees mentioned developing PhD jobs in their nations that were concentrated on infodemic management. By acting as mentors and coaches in later training programs, trainees have also fostered new generations of academic managers.
