Health Insights, Misinformation during #Covid19 by Emmanuel Agbeko Gamor

Fri, May 8, 2020

Read in 3 minutes

Accra Hub, Ghana Originally from Ghana

Extended (partial or full) lockdowns are becoming more commonplace across the world as our lived experiences in many countries. I dunno about you, but for me, navigating through each day seems more like an unending week without the same pomp-and-excitement when Friday rolls around. Social distancing for the coronavirus pandemic is taking its toll.

Over the past week, I was privileged to speak with folks actively working to improve conditions for patients, doctors and health respondents around the pandemic.

Dr. Palesa Phalafala is a plastic and reconstructive surgery registrar at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (the largest in Africa and 3rd largest in the world!). On a new podcast I started:🎙Unpacking Africa (on Apple Podcasts, Spotify & Google Podcast) where she shares anecdotal insights on her day-to-day, the amazing work, resolve and sacrifice each health professional goes through daily & oft-times in isolating from their family in taking care of us in their communities during this insidious pandemic. She highlights SHEROES, of which she is one and the work they do with CoronAssist.Online and reiterates the importance for all of us to stay home and individually own the fight by practicing better hygiene and social distancing.

On the other spectrum of much needed innovation and tech interventions is Garikia “Gazah” Govati of Maiko Healthcare Group. He makes investments in healthcare solutions and speaks to me about Epione.net and shares the symptom tracker for pre-screening, self-monitoring and health practitioner identification features of the app on Google Android Play store and Apple’s App store. He goes further in making a collaboration call for you, our dear readers to be distribution partners, community shareholders and to give much needed feedback once you download. Listen here.

On my end, I have leaned-in to the many phenomenal local heroes in my network for clarity of information and inspiration; hence the flavor of Unpacking Africa podcast. It has been an anxiety-ridden exercise to navigate through all-sorts of news, conspiracy theories and down-right mistruths around the pandemic, and what each of us must and can do as we await timely information for positive next steps.

One of the many hats I wear is as a facilitator for Digital Reputation Management with the University of Stellenbosch Business School Executive Education program in Sandton, South Africa. My colleagues and I hosted a free webinar and I addressed, you guessed it, “Fake News & You” during this hyper-reliance on digital and social media use for our daily interactions. I made a case about your personal Digital Reputation and the tell-tale signs of reputable and well-established news sources with reputation-integrity and responsibility so we can sift through the false, the misinformation and the relevant in our daily lives.

Please have physical, mental and emotional positive practices. Find ways to stay plugged-in albeit, digitally, to your community of loved ones and truly caring folks during these times as we all need each other. If you have any further questions about the podcast or webinar topic, please drop me a line at eagamor@4irAfrica.co.

Be safe, be well, be loved.