The World Health Organization (WHO) has partnered with the Ministries of Health in Thailand and Sri Lanka to pilot a new tool to combat and address infodemics — large-scale misinformation and disinformation that can undermine public health efforts. This follows the increasing complexity of the global information landscape.
This initiative, which focuses on conducting Information Environment Assessments (IEA) in both countries, is part of the WHO’s broader efforts to enhance health security and improve access to reliable information, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The tool, funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is designed to help countries understand the factors that influence how communities access, process, share, and understand information, both online and offline. These factors include legal and policy frameworks, communication infrastructure, cybersecurity, health and digital literacy, and the roles of various stakeholders involved in information exchange. The goal is to enable better Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) and Infodemic Management (IM) interventions, which are critical in responding to public health emergencies.
Representatives from diverse sectors in Sri Lanka and Thailand — including health, telecommunications, media, public relations, cybersecurity, and law enforcement — have collaborated on these assessments. By bringing together expertise from these different fields, the initiative aims to create a comprehensive picture of the current information environment in each country, identifying challenges and opportunities for improving the flow of accurate and trustworthy health information.
The pilot exercises in Sri Lanka and Thailand will provide valuable lessons that will further refine the IEA tool and training package.
