The World Health Organization (WHO) and other specialized agencies of the United Nations have urged countries to strengthen actions to counter the spread of misinformation and timely disseminate science-based information amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Technology and social media have been a double-edged sword during the crisis – helping keep people informed and connected, but also enabling and amplifying an infodemic to "undermine the global response and jeopardizes measures to control the pandemic," the WHO said in a joint statement on Wednesday as the UN General Assembly was being held in New York.

The agency pointed out how dangerous and harmful that misinformation can be, saying that without appropriate trust and correct information, "diagnostic tests go unused, immunization campaigns (or campaigns to promote effective vaccines) will not meet their targets, and the virus will continue to thrive," costing lives.

Disinformation polarizes public debate on COVID-19, amplifies hate speech and heightens social conflicts, it added.

"Misinformation and disinformation put health and lives at risk, and undermine trust in science, in institutions and in health systems," said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, called COVID-19 "not just this century's largest public health emergency, but also a communication crisis."

"We call on Member States to develop and implement action plans to manage the infodemic by promoting the timely dissemination of accurate information, based on science and evidence, to all communities, and in particular high-risk groups; and preventing the spread, and combating, mis- and disinformation while respecting freedom of expression," said the joint statement.

In May, the UN launched the "Verified" initiative to call on people worldwide to share accurate information on their social media platforms. The same month, WHO Member States passed Resolution WHA73.1 on the COVID-19 response, urging member states as well as international organizations to provide reliable content on COVID-19, and take measures to address mis- and disinformation.