**Fatshimétrie: Advocacy for verified information in times of health crisis**
Fact-checking, an essential practice to counter disinformation in the midst of a health crisis, was highlighted during the training workshop on infodemic management and fact-checking held recently in Kinshasa. Indeed, at a time when the spread of false information can have disastrous consequences for public health, it is essential that media professionals play their role as guardians of the truth.
Salif Diarra, Infodemic Manager at the World Health Organization, stressed the importance for the media to scrupulously verify information before disseminating it in order to effectively combat disinformation, particularly in times of health crisis such as that caused by the Mpox epidemic. The infodemic, this amalgamation of true and false information circulating in the absence of official information, represents a serious threat to public health and must be firmly combated.
With this in mind, Dr. Christian Ngandu, coordinator of the Public Health Emergency Operations Center, reiterated the government’s commitment to continuously improve the conditions for caring for patients, while calling on the media to disseminate accurate and timely information to enlighten and reassure communities. Public trust is at stake, and the media have a crucial role to play in disseminating reliable and verified information.
The speakers at this workshop also stressed the need for close collaboration between journalists and health professionals in order to improve community communication and effectively raise awareness among the population in the event of a health crisis. Barthélémy Kabuya, President of the Association of Health Communicators in Africa, and Miphy Buata, member of the Risk Communication and Community Engagement Pillar, stressed the importance for journalists to equip themselves with reliable sources and to exercise constant monitoring to combat the spread of false information.
At the same time, Dr. Inkale Basele, member of the Risk Communication and Community Engagement Pillar, announced an improvement in the epidemiological situation of Mpox in the DRC, with a decrease in the number of cases and an increasing recovery rate. This positive trend is the result of the joint efforts of health authorities and their partners to contain the epidemic.
In conclusion, the fight against disinformation during a health crisis requires increased collaboration between the media, health professionals and public authorities. Fact-checking and the dissemination of reliable and transparent information are the guarantors of public trust and the effectiveness of measures taken to combat the disease.In a world where information circulates at high speed, rigor and truthfulness are more necessary than ever to guarantee the health and well-being of all.