Information Saves Lives: Health Response Fund

As evidenced from the media frenzy around the COVID19 pandemic and subsequent health emergencies, journalists carry a great responsibility when covering health topics that have the potential to improve and save human lives. But a journalist’s job is becoming increasingly more difficult—how can journalists themselves navigate rumors and fake news about vaccines and other evidence-based health interventions in a digital age, when information spreads rapidly and impacts the decisions people make about their lives? 

This is the question at the top of our minds. If journalists are unable to tell the difference between fake news, misinformation, disinformation, and factual or reliable news, it’s unlikely their audiences will be able to.  

Just this month, we’ve published two new resources for journalists: 

• A checklist for debunking vaccine myths and rumors, and 
• A guide on reporting on life course immunization. 

Since our last update, we’vealso hosted a number of events for journalists: 

• “When Facts are Not Enough!” A special session with Heidi Larson, author of How Vaccine Rumors Start. 
• “One Health: An Approach that Builds Community Resilience against Emergencies and Disasters,” a live virtual event with various stakeholders – youth, climate activists, journalists, experts in Disaster Risk Reduction, health and civil society organizations. 
• Vaccines for Healthy Living: Reporting on the Role of Immunization in Reducing Risk of Disease in Moldova, in Romanian language with translations into English and Russian. 
• Unlocking the potential of science in the Global South: A new approach to vaccine equity, showcasing the ongoing research successes and challenges for scientists making inroads into vaccine research and development today. 

We remain committed to building health reporting capacity worldwide, with an eye for marginalized and vulnerable communities who are disproportionately affected by issues involving the intersection of health and climate emergencies. 

Your generous support is enabling us in this important work. If you have any questions or would like to know more about our COVID response work, please do not hesitate to reach out.