Responding to the COVID-19 Infodemic: Lessons from Quick, Collective, and Localised Action

When the novel coronavirus was declared a public health emergency of international concern in January, within a week the H2H Network activated its fund quickly to provide humanitarian-to-humanitarian services addressing the infodemic, one of the six priorities identified by WHO.

Since February, four members of the H2H Network – Internews, Translators without Borders, and BBC Media Action – have collaborated to support responders at every level by analyzing information gaps and addressing them with evidence-based content in relevant languages, formats, and channels.

This report outlines outcomes and lessons learned, including listening first, speed, technical expertise, local knowledge, integration, trust, and accessibility. The report also recommends three core actions for effective communication during Covid-19: supporting a two-way information flow, being data-driven, adaptive, and ensuring resourcing for response-wide communication expertise.