The National Capital District Commission (NCDC) has launched the ‘Sleeves Up Campaign’.
NCD Governor Powes Parkop launched the campaign alongside representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH).
The goal of the awareness campaign is to fight thriving misinformation on COVID-19 vaccines during this pandemic.
The awareness is a video series titled “Debunking Covid-19 Myths”. The videos will be released on social media with the aim to counter conspiracy theories and addressing vaccine hesitancy amongst the city residents.
With the rapid spread of misleading and fabricated news, images and videos, the role of communication has become vital.
The NCDCD, WHO and PMGH, have come together to ensure accurate, reliable and factual information from voices of authority reach the public.
Some common myths that will be busted by the facts presented in campaign videos include; the vaccine changing DNAs, vaccines containing microchips, causing infertility or are a weapon of mass destruction.
Anna Maalsen of the World Health Organization Country Team says WHO has been carefully monitoring the reporting that they are receiving.
“We are seeing, definitely a decrease in trend in cases here in Papua New Guinea. What we do know, what has happened in other countries, is that once we start to get a little bit relaxed, COVID-19 comes back.”
Governor Parkop says there is a potential third wave of COVID-19 in the country. Parkop emphasised that vaccines are our last line of defense, thus the need to counter misinformation with correct information.
“Although the government is saying that the vaccine is not compulsory, but it’s important for everybody to recognise that the vaccine is our key strategy to overcome the pandemic, overcome the virus, get us to safety, and importantly too, get us to overcome all the different challenges we have faced as a result of the pandemic,” Parkop said.
In May, NCD launched its vaccine campaign. However, there are still large sections of the city that are anti-vaccine, and this threatens the rollout.