UK To Spend Over $630,000 To Fight Misinformation About COVID-19 In Asia, Africa - Gov't

LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th March, 2020) The United Kingdom will put 500,000 Pounds ($630,272) toward eliminating misinformation being spread online about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Southeast Asia and Africa, the UK government said on Thursday.

"The support from the Department for International Development will challenge misinformation in South East Asia and Africa, which is then spreading worldwide, and direct people to the right advice to help stop the spread of the virus ... DFID's �500,000 support will go to the Humanitarian-to-Humanitarian (H2H) Network, which has extensive experience addressing the spread of misinformation during epidemics, for example following the 2015 Ebola outbreak," the department said in a statement.

H2H will be working with BBC Media Action and Internews to create reliable information debunking various harmful myths spread in Southeast Asia and Africa.

"Support will also go to Translators without Borders, which monitors false information in various languages and translates validated content from WHO and other health agencies, and Evidence Aid which updates a database of research on diseases each day," the department added.

As the COVID-19 outbreak keeps ramping up, a plethora of false rumors have sprung up all over social media, advising people to, for example, drink bleach or rub mustard and garlic into one's skin as a means of treatment.

On Sunday, the French Health Ministry was forced to issue a warning on Twitter that cocaine does not protect against COVID-19.