(Monrovia, Liberia – September 16, 2025) – The Ministry of Health (MOH), through its Communication and Health Promotion Unit (CHPU) in partnership with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), has concluded a four-day Capacity Strengthening Workshop on Social Listening and Infodemic Management at the Royal Grand Hotel in Sinkor, held from September 8 – 11, 2025.
The workshop brought together social media influencers and staff from the Communication and Health Promotion Unit of the Ministry of Health. Participants were selected from several counties, including Montserrado, Bomi, Rivercess, Bong, Nimba, Lofa, Grand Gedeh, and Maryland. The event aimed to enhance Liberia’s resilience and preparedness; Capacitate the Government of Liberia in Infodemic Management; Detect and address misinformation and disinformation in real-time; Strengthen public trust in vaccines, life course immunization, and health interventions; Improve decision-making processes by translating infodemic insights into actionable strategies; and enhance community engagement, public trust, and response mechanisms for public health emergencies.
Topics covered during the event were: Foundations, Policy and Governance of Behavioral Intelligence and Infodemic Management (BIIM); Behavioral Intelligence; Understanding Infodemic and Information Disorders; Identify Social Listening; Understanding Taxonomy and Triage; Amplify, Intervene or Respond; Developing a BIIM Taxonomy; Quantify Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning; and Institutionalization and Governance – Integrating BIIM into National Systems.
Participants engaged in practical exercises, case studies, and group discussions designed to strengthen Liberia’s capacity for effective risk communication and community engagement during public health emergencies.
The workshop was facilitated by staff from the Africa CDC, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Abuja, Nigeria; and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The five facilitators led and coordinated the sessions, delivering an intensive and highly participatory learning experience that included techniques on social listening and infodemic management.
The Ministry of Health remains committed to building the capacity of its staff and extends thanks and appreciation to the Africa CDC for its continuous support in providing capacity development for the staff of the Ministry of Health.