The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) says it has trained health personnel on infomedics management to enhance quality data generation in Bauchi State.
Dr Olu Bunmi Olofa, Assistant Director Health Promotion, NCDC, stated this on the sidelines of a three-day capacity building training exercise on Saturday in Bauchi.
She said the exercise was designed to strengthen the capacity of the Bauchi State team on infodemics management for quality data to mitigate pandemics.
The training exercise is being organized in collaboration between the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BSPHCDA), Federal Ministry of Health and Breakthrough Action – Nigeria (BA-N), a non-governmental organization.
Olofa said the participants would develop project work plan on infodemics management and appraise previous activities in the state.
According to her, the participants will also discuss achievements, identify challenges and profer solutions, adding that the state team had been trained on infordemics management in 2022.
“Infodemics management is all about managing rumors, misleading information and abundance of information that distract the normal disease prevention and control activities as they are a threat to the goals of the NCDC,” she said.
Also speaking, Dr Olayinka Farouk, Deputy Project Director, Risk Communication of the BA-N, said that infodemics data are generated from the community using the bottom – top approach in curtailing pandemics.
She said that BA-N has been providing support to Nigeria in the area of Risk Communication and Communication Engagement.
“We are to know what are some of the quick wins, learnings, challenges and this will inform the development of national infodemics management guidelines”.
