Slum and Rural Health Initiative: #STOPCOVID-19 Project

Location: Nigeria (and Africa)

Slum and Rural Health Initiative is re-imagining COVID-19 pandemic communication by translating public health messages from the WHO during this uncertain time to over 100 languages, especially many local languages from Africa (found here at www.tinyurl.com/stopcovid).

These empowering public health infographics have been shared by USAID Social Behaviour Change Communication, UNICEF West Africa, One Young World among several other reputable organizations. It has also been shared on social media platforms such as Whatsapp and Facebook. Through a bold initiative, billions of people who (like many of our grandparents) do not understand or speak either French or English can now have access to reliable health information about the COVID-19 pandemic.

This project vision is to prevent community spread and help to debunk false information on the novel coronavirus. As there have been several disturbing viral videos of many people in Northern Nigeria who were shown to drink the water they have used to wash their hands to seemingly prove that the novel coronavirus is ‘not real’. Furthermore, there have been several confirmed reports of chloroquine drug abuse in Nigeria and even some influential leaders with millions of followers in Africa have ‘linked the coronavirus to 5G’ among other perturbing news.

As these waves of misinformation, myths and misconceptions about the COVID-19 pandemic keep sweeping across the world, our STOP COVID-19 Initiative which has translated reliable health information from the WHO and designed easy-to-use infographics in over 100 languages (available here at www.tinyurl.com/stopcovid). Our Behaviour Change Communication and Community Engagement Initiative focus on ensuring people have access to COVID-19 prevention and supportive messages to help them stay physically and mentally healthy during these unprecedented times.

We believe that public health institutions and organizations should debunk the latest misconceptions on the COVID-19 virus with even more enthusiasm than they use to share the latest statistics on the number of infections and deaths from the COVID-19 virus. They also need to be proactive to share mental health messages and report positive recovery stories to allay fears and anxieties during this uncertain period.

Support

We need more support for our SRHIN’s Infographics project to spread health-promoting information and be able to curtail the panic that this uncertain period brings as many people in Africa and beyond feel at least one or more of the ‘HALT Syndrome’ (Hunger, Angry, Tired and Lonely) as a result of the devastating impact of the COVID-19 virus in many historically marginazed communities in Africa. You can partner, support and sponsor us to do more with this project by getting in touch at hello@srhin.org or reach our Executive Director, Dr. Isaac Olufadewa at isaac.olufadewa@srhin.org or +2348132021189

Other support: Access to information, Space for online meetings

See more:

www.srhin.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/srhinafrica
Twitter: www.twitter.com/srhinafrica or www.twitter.com/officialsimbi
Instagram: www.instagram.com/srhinafrica

For more information contact covid19@unmgcy.org