Public distrust hampers Africa fight against misinformation

African nations fighting the novel coronavirus face a foe as stealthy and dangerous as the microbe itself: Misinformation and apathy, fuelled by deep distrust of government. Bogus news and indifference to official warnings are emerging as giant obstacles in a region where poor healthcare infrastructure, sanitation and overcrowded slums provide fertile ground for COVID-19 to spread. Africa has recorded nearly 2,800 cases and at least 70 deaths, according to an AFP compilation as of Thursday.

The tally may lag far behind that of other continents but the World Health Organization (WHO), backed by the top names in medicine, has bluntly warned: “Prepare for the worst”.

African countries have begun to implement strict rules including lockdowns, curfews and even prison terms for those sharing false claims. But such measures appear futile in stopping the spread of misinformation.

AFP Fact Check in Africa has debunked dozens of claims in various languages that have fanned out across the continent via social media platforms and messaging services.

Viral messages on Facebook and Whatsapp carry unfounded advice that gargling with vinegar eliminates the virus or that black people are resistant to it because of their skin colour.

“This is a new challenge that we are facing and it’s a big challenge,” South African infectious disease expert Thumbi Ndung’u said.

“If governments are not forthcoming... or seem to be hiding information, then there are people who step into that space and some of those people may not necessarily have good intentions’’.

While Facebook has toughened its policy toward those spreading potentially harmful information, Twitter now slaps warning labels on manipulated images or videos.

But many claims in Africa circulate in private groups on the encrypted Whatsapp platform, making it harder to target them.

In South Africa, currently the region’s worst-hit country, misinformation started to circulate long before the first of its more than 700 cases was confirmed.

Many viral claims have the potential to cause real-life harm, such as doctored government documents with misleading coronavirus advice.

To counter the trend, officials are holding regular press conferences and have launched a coronavirus information website, toll-free number and Whatsapp support line.

On March 19, the government went a step further when it announced that peddling fake coronavirus information would be punished with up to six months in jail.