Verified

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Verified is an initiative of the United Nations, in collaboration with Purpose, to provide content that cuts through the noise to deliver life-saving information, fact-based advice and stories from the best of humanity. it is an initiative to encourage everyone to check the advice we share. Users register to receive trustworthy COVID-19 information, fact-based advice, and human-interest stories.

By promoting and sharing Verified content, everyday people can play a crucial role in the work of Verified by spreading reliable information about COVID-19 to their friends, families and social networks, with the goal of saving lives and countering misinformation. Organizations, businesses, civil society and media platforms partner with Verified to spread information that helps protect people, communities and forges connections across the planet.

Verified’s team of communicators, creatives and researchers produce content based on the latest information and guidance from the United Nations, the World Health Organisation and other UN agencies. We work with leading experts on misinformation First Draft.

Verified works with the support of Luminate, IKEA Foundation and UN Foundation and partners all over the world.

Source: Verified

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    Films about Coronavirus

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    In Africa and South Asia more than 3 billion people live with little access to intensive care. Their best hope is through knowledge and information, allowing communities to slow the epidemic, protect those most vulnerable, and continue accessing treatment for other deadly illnesses.

    Picturing Health is working in partnership with leading research organisations, as well as UNICEF and NGOs to produce films and public health messages to get the right information to the people who need it.

    Source: Films about Coronavirus

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      YouTube as a Source of Information on COVID-19: A Pandemic of Misinformation?

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      The COVID-19 pandemic is this century’s largest public health emergency and its successful management relies on the effective dissemination of factual information. As a social media platform with billions of daily views,

      YouTube has tremendous potential to both support and hinder public health efforts. However, the usefulness and accuracy of most viewed YouTube videos on COVID-19 have not been investigated.  A YouTube search was performed on 21 March 2020 using keywords ‘coronavirus’ and ‘COVID-19’, and the top 75 viewed videos from each search were analysed.

      The result was that over one-quarter of the most viewed YouTube videos on COVID-19 contained misleading information, reaching millions of viewers worldwide. As the current COVID-19 pandemic worsens, public health agencies must better use YouTube to deliver timely and accurate information and to minimise the spread of misinformation. This may play a significant role in successfully managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

      Source: YouTube as a Source of Information on COVID-19: A Pandemic of Misinformation?

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        La Réponse du Partenariat de Ouagadougou au COVID-19

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        L’ampleur de la pandémie du COVID-19 constitue une menace réelle pour les populations de l’Afrique de l’Ouest francophone comme pour les systèmes de santé et les économies des pays membres du Partenariat de Ouagadougou.

        Toutefois, la survenue de cette crise additionnelle dans une région déjà fragilisée par des défis sécuritaires et humanitaires, exige une réponse appropriée du Partenariat du Ouagadougou. Cette réponse du PO, tout en reconnaissant la nécessité de mesures fortes contre le COVID-19, doit préserver les acquis en matière de santé sexuelle et reproductive, et protéger le droit des femmes et des familles à la planification familiale maintenant et après 2020.

        Source: La Réponse du Partenariat de Ouagadougou au COVID-19

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          Considerations and Principles for Shielding People at High Risk of Severe Outcomes from COVID-19

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          This brief considers the rationale for shielding individuals at high risk of severe disease or death from COVID-19 in low and middle-income countries.

          It provides an overview of proposed approaches to shielding, discusses the categories of individuals who may be identified for shielding, and outlines the likely difficulties of these measures and ways to mitigate them. It is noted that the authors are not aware of any precedent for targeted shielding of specific groups in low- and middle-income countries during this or any other outbreak. As such, shielding as an approach is untested.

          The authors attempt to provide considerations regarding the feasibility and challenges of this approach, particularly in low- and middle-income settings. Decisions on shielding, they write, will need to pay particular attention to the local socio-economic context, be made in collaboration with local actors, and be continually adapted in light of emerging evidence about the approach’s effectiveness, the characteristics of the COVID-19 and the trajectories of the outbreaks.

          Source: Considerations and Principles for Shielding People at High Risk of Severe Outcomes from COVID-19

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            UNICEF India COVID-19 Materials for the Public

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            This site offers the complete set of COVID-19 materials developed for the Indian general public.

            Source: UNICEF India COVID-19 Materials for the Public

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              Public Health Communication in Time of Crisis: Readability of On-Line COVID-19 Information

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              The purpose of this study was to assess the readability of information on the Internet posted about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to determine how closely these materials are written to the recommended reading levels.

              Using the search term “coronavirus,” information posted on the first 100 English language websites was identified. Using an online readability calculator, multiple readability tests were conducted to ensure a comprehensive representation would result.

              The authors concluded that messages about COVID-19 must be readable at an “easy” level, and must contain clear guidelines for behavior. The degree to which individuals seek information in response to risk messages is positively related to the expectation that the information will resolve uncertainty. However, if the information is too complex to interpret and it fails to lead to disambiguation, this can contribute to feelings of panic.

              Source: Public Health Communication in Time of Crisis: Readability of On-Line COVID-19 Information

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                Community-Led Action (CLA) for COVID-19: A Field Manual for Community Mobilisers

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                This Field Manual was developed by GOAL for GOAL community mobilizers implementing the Community-Led Action (CLA) approach to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in their communities. GOAL is an international humanitarian and development agency, committed to working with communities to achieve sustainable and innovative early response in crises, and lasting solutions to poverty and vulnerability.It can also be used by other organisations who wish to implement the CLA approach as part of the COVID-19 pandemic response.

                This Field Manual supports community mobilizers (CMs) in implementing CLA’s five steps. It provides CMs with Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) tools and ideas for empowering communities to do their own analysis and take their own action to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The CLA approach recognises that communities have the power and the agency to stop the spread of COVID-19 and protect themselves. The approach also recognises that contexts and communities vary widely, and as such, the guidance given should be adapted and tailored to suit local conditions.

                Source: Community-Led Action (CLA) for COVID-19: A Field Manual for Community Mobilisers

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                  Actions to Support Media, Enhance Access to Information, and Leverage Digital Technologies in the Fight Against the Pandemic

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                  UNESCO is the UN agency with a specific mandate to promote “free flow of ideas by word and image”. It welcomes the immense efforts of communication and information communities to tackle the current COVID-19 crisis, including:

                  • sharing lifesaving information, debunking misinformation,
                  • strengthening the implementation of the fundamental right to information,
                  • leveraging the use of public interest media, ICTs and OER for e-learning, and connecting people online.

                  UNESCO is closely monitoring the impact of this crisis on media freedom, safety of journalists, and the fundamental right to access information.

                  In a context of unprecedented challenges for the media and digital technology sectors, UNESCO has created a “resource center” of selected responses to COVID-19.
                  It includes a collection of examples of actions related to communication and information made available for the purpose of:

                  • Sharing practices
                  • Identifying priorities
                  • Facilitating partnerships
                  • Amplifying good practices
                  • Providing advice and technical assistance to governments and relevant national stakeholders
                  • Fostering North-South, South-South, and triangular cooperation

                  This “clearing house” provides a non-exhaustive list of illustrative examples. It will continue to evolve with the COVID-19 pandemic and the quick development of responses.

                  Source: Actions to Support Media, Enhance Access to Information, and Leverage Digital Technologies in the Fight Against the Pandemic

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