Website to curb fake news on COVID-19 launched
The Ministry of Health and Social Service launched an updated website and a social media campaign focusing on providing correct information and countering fake news around COVID-19 vaccines and the pandemic, with support from the United States.
Acting USAID Country Representative Nicole Miller said although Namibia’s infection numbers are currently low, we all know that COVID-19 has not disappeared.
“New variations and future waves cannot be ruled out. We need to be prepared as a nation and as individuals and science tells us that best prepared are those who are vaccinated,” added Miller.
Ministry of Health and Social Services, Executive Director Ben Nangombe said with just over 28% of the population vaccinated in Namibia, we have a long way to go to get to the 70% vaccination rate recommended by the World Health Organization. “We are incredibly proud of the joint communications work we have done together with our development cooperation partners to create platforms that are meant to spread correct information to the public and limit the spread of false information,” he added.
Nangombe further said although the infodemic can not be stopped, it can be managed through campaigns and collaborations like these.
The United States has committed over N$350 million in support of the national COVID emergency response to reduce the impact of COVID-19 infection, and to encourage Namibians to get vaccinated to protect themselves from hospitalization or death.
The United States has also provided extensive assistance to Namibia since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020, providing technical support to all pillars of the response from infection and prevention control to laboratory and case management, and making substantial donations in the form of donating and distributing thousands of vaccine doses, providing ICU beds, equipment such as centrifuges, biosafety cabinets, refrigerators, freezers, sequencing equipment, testing supplies and accessory equipment, testing supplies and accessory equipment, reagents, personal protective equipment, and funding oxygen generation plants for various public hospitals throughout the country. More than 4 000 people have died in Namibia from COVID-19.
