2014 - 2016 Ebola Epidemic

Rumors and False Information

During the 2014 - 2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, a lack of strong healthcare and governmental institutions made citizens susceptible to factually inaccurate information. Without strong healthcare institutions, or trust in them, rumors spread by word of mouth as well as through popular media sources, such as radio and blogs. Some people came to believe that healthcare workers were spreading Ebola or stealing organs from the dead. Others understood Ebola better, but turned to homeopathic remedies to cure or prevent the disease, unsuccessfully. The goal for healthcare organizations was then to understand how to overcome these cultural barriers and spread correct information to save lives and prevent further outbreak of the disease.

Coordinated Efforts

UNICEF and WHO partnered for on-the-ground research to understand the roadblocks to the dissemination and flow of more accurate information. Together, they conducted interviews focused on what people believed about the disease, so they could begin to correct the falsehoods. Once they ascertained which mediums were being utilized to spread disinformation -- local radio, Whatsapp, and door-to-door communication -- WHO and UNICEF focused on utilizing these same channels to correct the inaccuracies. To increase trust, they set up stations of healthcare workers in the center of local villages, establishing greater access and trust within communities. In this same regard, they trained community leaders to fight misinformation, since these were the people who had the most influence over their peers’ behavior.


UNICEF’s collaboration with technology platforms was also critical in the fight against Ebola; back in 2014 these companies were just emerging as key variables in the dissimination of disinformation. Similar to today, they were also key partners in developing features that helped mitigate misinformation by prominently displaying content from WHO. This enabled users to find authoritative content regarding Ebola symptoms and treatment in targeted regions; thus, helping to drown out the less credible source. The nature of platforms also offered the opportunity for social media “listening,” to help NGOs understand where there were gaps in factual information, so they could fill these gaps and squeeze out the misinformation.


These tactics ultimately helped healthcare workers reduce the Ebola epidemic and jump to action during subsequent outbreaks with a more robust misinformation toolkit at their disposal.