AIRA Infodemic Trends Report 23-28 May 2025
The document is the AIRA Infodemic Trends Report for 23-28 May 2025, a weekly brief (#163) focusing on public health infodemic trends in the African region. It highlights key concerns, persistent trends, and resources related to Mpox, Cholera, and Diphtheria.
Top Concerns:
- Mpox: Uncertainties about transmission in Togo and an infant infection in Ethiopia reveal an information gap. People are asking basic questions about the disease, its spread, symptoms, and treatments. There are also issues with limited diagnostic capacity.
- Cholera: Lack of contextualization in media reporting about the efficacy of chlorinated water in Goma, DRC, risks undermining cholera response efforts. Misunderstandings about chlorine's effectiveness could jeopardize its use.
Persistent Trends:
- Diphtheria: A surge in Nigeria and large-scale vaccination campaigns in Chad fuel debate and disinformation. Mandatory vaccination is met with resistance in Nigeria, and there is distrust in the safety of vaccines in Chad.
The report also provides a reference guide, key resources for journalists, fact-checkers, and social media, technical updates, and public health guidance for each disease. It concludes with a methodology section explaining how the social media listening is conducted.
- Provides contact information for Salif Diarra (diarrasa [at] who.int (diarrasa[at]who[dot]int)) for further information.
