In Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp, one radio presenter has taken it upon himself to fight Covid-19 disinformation, reports IsmailEinashe with codastory.
He tells his listeners “don’t panic,” provides them with regular updates and brings on experts to dispel the myths about the virus. His voice has become so well known that people refer to him as the “Corona Guy.”Largely cut off from the rest of the country, Dadaab — home to more than 217 000 people and one of the largest settlements of its kind in the world — looked like it had been spared.
It is difficult to pinpoint where the misinformation spreading through Dadaab originates, but social media networks, WhatsApp groups and word of mouth play a part in its proliferation. Mire sees it as his job to present factually accurate narratives that are just as easy to understand and pass from person to person.
Dr John Kiogora, the senior health coordinator at the International Rescue Committee, agrees. He explained that, because of poor sanitation and overcrowding, refugee settlements — be they in Kenya, Lebanon or Bangladesh — are highly vulnerable to large-scale outbreaks of infectious diseases. He added that the density of Dadaab’s population is a particularly serious problem.
“We have very little water, no soap to wash hands, and just enough to wash our clothes,” she said. “This is a disease God has brought upon us — all I can do is pray.” More often than not, he finds himself having to disprove ideas based on fake science — that the virus does not affect Somalis or that five daily Islamic prayers will protect individuals against infection, for instance.
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