Misinformation

Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Timothy Masiu warned in a media statement released this evening. He issued the warning today, citing significant evidence of serious abuse of social media, spreading false information that led to destruction of properties in Port Moresby and parts of the country resulting also in deaths

Early that week, a vaccination awareness team was stoned and verbally abused at Top Town.

Misinformation on the COVID-19 vaccine has created panic, especially within the lower echelons of society that have a vast majority of illiterate to semi-literate citizens.

With no awareness, the populace was left to its own device, where conspiracy theories spread like wildfire, igniting the fear of vaccination and a general distrust of anyone who is pro-vaccination.  

This is to combat misinformation and misconception on these issues.

The discussion was attended by church leaders in Port Moresby, representatives from the PNG Council of Churches (PNGCoC), the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF and the Ministry of Health.

General Secretary of the PNGCoC, Reverend Roger Joseph, said the focus of the meeting was for church leaders to listen to technical messages about COVID-19 and the vaccine and to iron out any misconceptions that they may have.

One of the families involved were the ones who were disputing that their loved one did not die from COVID-19.

The woman who passed away on March 18^th at the ANGAU Memorial Provincial Hospital was a regular patient since 2016 as she had high blood pressure and also suffered back aches.