Media must claim its position in stemming Mpox misinformation

Last week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Mpox an international health emergency due to the increasing outbreak and spread of the viral disease in parts of Africa.

The significance of this declaration cannot be overstated. It evoked a dark past when the virus unmasked its ugly face two years ago in Africa, grasping worldwide attention. It does not stop there. Once again, Africa is reminded about the recently exceptionally inequitable response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Getting accurate information was complicated because Covid-19 was the first global pandemic in the social media era.

Consequently, multiple unique dynamics in health message dissemination and consumption laid bare a sharp contrast from the outdated remediation platforms for combating health misinformation.

While the WHO declaration of the rapidly spreading Mpox is expected to facilitate the rollout of vaccines and accelerate clinical trials for novel treatments, it could potentially be a litmus test for our media houses when combating misinformation and disinformation. We must comprehend that exposure to Covid-19 health misinformation and disinformation has emerged as a global risk factor for human health and wellness.

With the declaration of Mpox, we will likely face a similar predicament considering the ever-increasing access to digital media and mobile connectivity in Africa, which permits the dissemination of evidence-based and unvetted online resources. Luckily, we hope that we have learnt lessons from past experiences.

Digital technologies present an opportunity and a threat to advancing public health. The current anxiety is that we are not witnessing our local media seizing the chance robustly to advance a voice of clarity on evidence-based facts on Mpox prevention and treatment to fill the ever-growing information void. Like in the case of Covid-19, we should not wait until it is too late.

There is a profound need to mitigate the impact of misinformation and disinformation across Africa, where social media platforms dominate. The media should bridge the gap as the public struggles with limited access to these critical health messages.

In the digital era, health consumers are active contributors, not passive readers. The scarcity of reliable information makes consumers susceptible to misinformation and disinformation.

Ultimately, they may become unintentional contributors and disseminators of misleading information. The information gaps present a clear chance for adulteration from other information verticals, especially politicians, clergy and other opinion leaders. In this situation, we will witness a split social circle, making it easier for misinformation to proliferate in Kenya and Africa.

If we don’t act swiftly, the spread of misinformation and disinformation about Mpox could have serious consequences. It could erode public trust in health, medical, and scientific institutions and increase vaccine hesitancy. This, in turn, could delay crucial interventions and prolong the pandemic. We cannot afford to let this happen.