Strengthening Infodemic Management in the Modern World
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the dangers of a silent infodemic, which is defined as the overabundance of information including false or misleading ones. This has significant implications for public health management, hindering individual access to reliable sources and guidance, leading to the rejection of health interventions and the proliferation of conspiracy-motivated beliefs and behavior.
Governments, organisations, and other stakeholders must strengthen infodemic management, regulate the information landscape, and create credible, constructive public health narratives. This includes applying evidence and risk-based interventions that drive positive health-seeking behavior, building social resilience, promoting a sound understanding of public health, and providing citizens with the toolkit to protect themselves and their communities.
Theme Guide Agenda for May 1st
Committee Session 1 – Social Media
Social media has the capacity to do good and create safe spaces, but it also has the potential to radicalize, indoctrinate, and manipulate individuals. We aim to discuss the power of social media and how it intersects with global health work and institutions.
1. Collaboration and coordination: This includes coordinating efforts across different sectors and stakeholders to manage the infodemic, including public health agencies, media outlets, and social media platforms.
2. Capacity building: This includes building the capacity of public health agencies, media outlets, and other stakeholders to manage the infodemic effectively, including training and education programs.
Guiding Questions:
1. Should media platforms, as private actors, be held accountable for the content their users promote/spread?
2. Should the WHO conduct ethnographic research on various social media platforms to track social trends and movements?
3. Should the WHO use social media as a primary information dissemination source?
Committee Session 2 - Should the WHO recommend member states educate their youth on digital literacy?
Social media has the potential to affect positive change and global collaboration, but it also has the potential to cultivate hate and deception. We aim to discuss whether the WHO has the authority or ability to encourage or require member states to educate their youth on digital literacy.
1. Education and awareness: This involves educating the public about the risks of misinformation and disinformation and providing them with the skills to identify and avoid false information.
2. Research and evaluation: This involves conducting research to better understand the infodemic and its impacts & evaluating the effectiveness of interventions to manage it.
Guiding Questions:
1. Does the WHO have the authority to make this recommendation?
2. What should be included in the curriculum?
3. How often should the curriculum be updated to include on-going innovations?
Theme Guide Agenda for May 2nd
Committee Session 1 - Misinformation
Misinformation is a broad and variable term, ranging from information being correct but misrepresented to presenting opinions as reliable arguments to factually incorrect statements being disseminated as credible scientific evidence. We aim to discuss the impact of misinformation on global health work and institutions.
1. Information verification: This involves verifying the accuracy of information and sources before disseminating them to the public.
2. Ethical considerations: This includes considering ethical principles in the management of the infodemic, such as ensuring that information is accurate, transparent, and respects individual privacy.
Guiding Questions:
1. Should there be a standardized definition or criteria for misinformation?
2. How should misinformation be handled at the international level?
3. Should world leaders/governments be held accountable for instigating/spreading misinformation?
Committee Session 2 - Centralized AI-Fact Checking Initiative
There is a vast amount of misinformation that is spread throughout the world, both online and off-line, which is further compounded by the difficulty of ensuring its reliability or credibility. We aim to discuss the feasibility and utility of a centralized fact-checking initiative to counter misinformation at the international level.
1. Risk communication: This includes providing accurate and timely information to the public about the infodemic, the risks involved, and the measures being taken to manage it.
2. Technology and innovation: This includes using technology and innovative approaches to manage the infodemic, such as developing algorithms to detect and flag false information.
Guiding Questions:
1. How would the verification process work?
2. What sources are considered ‘reliable’?
3. Who would run this initiative, and how would it become & stay equitable?
