ZIMFACT FIGHTS DISINFORMATION

Paidamoyo Bore
INDEPENDENT fact-checking platform, Zimfact, has launched a campaign to fight disinformation and misinformation on Covid-19 vaccines.

The campaign, running under #KnowTheFactsGetTheVax, seeks to disseminate credible information on vaccines.

In an interview with H-Metro, the Editor-in-Chief of ZimFact, Cris Chinaka, said the initiative was running in several African countries.

He said ZimFact had embraced the initiative too in Zimbabwe with the support of Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA).

“Firstly, it is important for public health that we promote the sharing of factual and verifiable information around Covid-19 vaccines as people are still being bombarded with false information.

“Secondly, this campaign is important in reminding the public that the Covid-19 pandemic is still alive and that we cannot drop our guard,” said the veteran journalist.

Social media has been awash with different views and myths on the pandemic and vaccines.

“The impact of misinformation and disinformation on the Covid-19 pandemic globally has been quite negative.

“It has led to unnecessary Covid-19 cases and deaths in some instances, anxiety and mental health problems in others, slowed down vaccine uptake and put avoidable pressure on health services,” said Chinaka.

He said people needed factual information around their lives to process issues rationally.

The campaign will run throughout the year on various platforms, including broadcast services and the organisation’s social media pages.

This will ensure that the critical message reaches as many people as possible. The initiative will be conducted in three main languages − English, Shona and Ndebele.