Since the beginning of the outbreak over a year ago the COVID 19 pandemic has gravely affected our societies and economies Likewise it has deeply disrupted the lives of billions of people across the globe including the way we consume produce and react to information Thanks to new technologies we have been able to widely disseminate knowledge and evidence on this new disease However social media platforms have also been the carriers of falsehoods and distortions Underlying that the world is facing a rapid amplification and circulation of accurate but also false information the UN Secretary General and the Director General of the World Health Organization both declared that we are currently fighting an infodemic in the same way as we are fighting a pandemic An infodemic is defined as a tsunami of information some accurate some not that spreads alongside an epidemic If it is not managed accordingly an infodemic can have direct negative impacts on the health of populations and the public health response by undermining the trust in science and interventions We are also seeing that infodemics hinder the cohesiveness of societies by increasing existing social inequities stigma gender disparity and generation rift Although infodemics are not a new phenomenon the volume and rapid scale up of facts but also misinformation and disinformation surrounding the COVID 19 outbreak are unprecedented Owing to the opportunities and challenges brought by new technologies and social media platforms the infodemic that accompanies the first pandemic of the digital age is more visible and challenging than ever before Practicing information hygiene just as we are practicing hand and cough hygiene is thus becoming vital to prevent the spread of the virus This overflow of information knows no boundaries and affects our physical as well as our digital spaces By acting together to improve infodemic management online and offline and advocating for continued solidarity we believe that we can help our communities and those most vulnerable adopt healthy behaviors As outlined in the Resolution on COVID 19 1 adopted by consensus at the 73rd World Health Assembly and the G20 Health Ministers Declaration at the Riyadh Summit we need to provide populations with reliable and comprehensive information on COVID 19 and take measures to counter misinformation and disinformation The response to this infodemic demands the support development and application of efficient solutions that equip individuals and their communities with the knowledge and tools to promote accurate health information upstream and mitigate the harm that misinformation and disinformation causes downstream Fully aware of the limits of top down approaches we call upon the implementation of interventions that engage with listen to inform and empower people so that they can make decisions to protect themselves and others Deeply concerned with the undermining consequences of the current infodemic to the COVID 19 response and acknowledging the great potential for improved risk communication through new tools we hereby call on key stakeholders and the global community to commit to undertaking the following actions Recognize that an infodemic is a tsunami of information some accurate some not that spreads alongside an epidemic and note that it cannot be eliminated but it can be managed Acknowledge that infodemic management can reduce the direct and indirect negative impacts on the health of populations as well as growing mistrust towards governments science and health personnel which has fueled the polarization of societies Emphasize that everyone has a role to play in addressing the infodemic Support a whole of society approach and engage with communities in the production verification and dissemination of information that leads to healthy behaviors during epidemics and pandemics Commit to finding solutions and tools consistent with the freedom of expression to manage the infodemic embedding the use of digital technologies and data science Strive to make science more accessible transparent and understandable maintain trusted sources of information and promote evidence informed policies thereby fostering people s trust in them Learn from the COVID 19 infodemic management practices and share experience on value added partnerships We encourage other organizations and individuals to join the World Health Organization in making these commitments and holding ourselves accountable to them by signing this statement of commitment Please join us by signing this manifesto by submitting this electronic form here LINK 1 Resolution WHA73 1 COVID 19 response