OPINION: Misinformation & Disinformation Kill Alongside COVID-19 in Africa

Nearly every African country has cases of COVID-19, as of April 10, 2020. [Wikimedia Commons]

While other countries and international bodies rush to aid African countries in fighting a physical battle against COVID-19, a concurrent information war rages on. Misinformation and disinformation have been rampant across Africa and the world, prompting the World Health Organization to declare an “infodemic” amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. The deluge of verified and unverified claims flooding the information ecosystem have resulted in mass confusion and eroding trust in credible sources.

According to one Brazilian doctor’s false claim on social media, fennel can cure the coronavirus, BBC reports. The post prompted a rush to local markets in Cape Verde. Similarly, a Nigerian newspaper, the Punch, falsely reported, “To be safe from coronavirus, shave your beard, CDC warns.” By the time it added a correction note at the very bottom of the article, the rumors had already spread.

The U.S. warned that disinformation brings further challenges to addressing the virus in African countries because of increased skepticism of Western responses, according to the Guardian. Misinformation has also literally killed, as Democracy Now reports that two Nigerians died from overdosing on chloroquine after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that the drug was approved by the Food and Drug Administration and would be made available “almost immediately.” In Nigeria, 58 percent of people surveyed by the Pew Research Center expressed confidence that Trump will “do the right thing in world affairs.”

The deaths of the two Nigerians who put their faith in Trump’s words cannot be dismissed as “tragic accidents.” Words manifest in real, tangible harm, especially in an environment of panic and confusion exacerbated by false and conflicting information. The consequences of careless remarks by world leaders and targeted disinformation from politically-motivated actors must not be overlooked.