By Ahmed Abba
World Health Organisation (WHO), in collaboration with Yobe Government,
organised a two-day training for health promotion officers on infodemic.
Dr Nuhu Ningi, the WHO State Coordinator, while addressing participants on Wednesday in Damaturu,
said the training is necessary to empower health promotion officers across the 17 local government areas of the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that infodemic is a rapid and far-reaching spread of both accurate and inaccurate
information about something, such as a disease.
Infodemic also means excessive amount of information, usually not trustworthy, which spreads fast, hindering reliable solutions.
Such information include false or misleading stories in digital and physical environments during disease outbreak.
The WHO coordinator, therefore, said that the training of health promotion officers is apt, for the prevention and prompt
response to outbreak to curtail morbidity.
Ningi explained that correct and sound information are vital in transformation of how situations are approached, especially outbreaks in communities.
He added that “when we have distorted information, which is not grounded with science and reason, it will be difficult to curtail any
outbreak in the community.
“So, your role as health promotion officers is to provide necessary correct information on how diseases occur, how to prevent the
occurrence and how to remain safe during disasters or outbreak situations.”
The WHO official advised participants to pay attention during the training to ensure successful deliberations.
Dr Kundi Machina, the Executive Secretary, Yobe Primary Healthcare Management Board, commended WHO for the collaboration
with the state government.
He said at the end of the training workshop, participants should be able to provide appropriate and adequate information
on risk communication and how best to curtail various forms of epidemic diseases across the state. (NAN)
