Public Health Communication In An Era of Mis- and Disinformation: A Discussion with UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming (COM)

BU’s Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEID) is honored to host UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming (COM) for a keynote conversation focused on the evolving role of mis- and disinformation in the context of public health communications, including its role in pandemic preparedness and response. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for evidence-based public health information and communication – demonstrating the key role that public health communications plays in communities all over the world. The pandemic has also shown the detrimental impact of the rise in mis- and disinformation on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and even impact of the disease. We will address questions such as: What have we learned about mis- and disinformation from the pandemic and other recent infectious disease outbreaks? How can we implement these lessons in future to re-instill trust in evidence-based public information, promote effective public health measures, and save lives? And, do we have the tools we need to most effectively confront the harms that mis- and disinformation cause, in an era of conflict, climate change, and COVID-19? Event Cosponsors: Alumni Affairs, College of Communication, Global Development Policy Center, Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering, Pardee School for Global Studies