ECOWAS and NPHA Join Forces to Combat Health Misinformation
Sierra Leone’s National Public Health Agency (NPHA) is spearheading a regional effort to fortify public trust and neutralize health misinformation during disease outbreaks across West Africa.
In a high-level mission conducted on June 22, representatives from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (RCSDC) joined the NPHA to coordinate with Gambian health authorities on advancing Infodemic Management and Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) systems.
The delegation, featuring Dr. Imaobong Udo Isang of the ECOWAS RCSDC alongside Sierra Leonean experts Michael Karama and Patrick Lansana, engaged in technical consultations with a Gambian team led by Mr. Michael Manga Mendy, Director of Health Promotion and RCCE.
The sessions involved stakeholders from Public Health Emergency Management, the Emergency Operations Centre, and the National Call Centre to refine reporting mechanisms and test new behavioral intelligence dashboards.
The mission also included a high-level briefing with Dr. Yusupha Touray, Permanent Secretary at The Gambia’s Ministry of Health. This collaborative framework aims to institutionalize standard operating procedures for monitoring false health narratives, a challenge that significantly hindered disease control efforts during the Ebola and COVID-19 crises.
The initiative underscores a growing regional commitment to resilient health systems. Gambian officials expressed appreciation to RCSDC Director General Dr. Mamadou Diarrassouba and NPHA Director General Prof. Foday Sahr for their leadership, noting that accurate, timely communication remains the first line of defense in protecting community health and livelihoods across the ECOWAS region.
Dr. Isang confirmed that the program—which draws heavily from successful pilot models developed in Sierra Leone—will be expanded to Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cabo Verde.
By monitoring and responding to misleading information in real-time, officials aim to ensure that public health guidance is not undermined by rumors that discourage treatment or vaccination.
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