TITLE:
Use of Social Media for Health Communication Campaign in the Management of the Ebola Crisis in Beni-Butembo/DRC
AUTHORS:
Paluku Kamili Jean-Paul, Vindu Vikumwa Claude
KEYWORDS:
Social Media, Health Communication Campaign, Traditional Media, Journalism, Ebolaepidemic, Infodemia
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Journalism and Communication,
Vol.11 No.3,
September
5,
2023
ABSTRACT: This article answered the question of how social networks were used in the management of the Ebola virus health crisis in Butembo and Beni, in the province of North Kivu, DRC. The main objective was to show that social networks largely contributed to the difficulty of managing the Ebola virus epidemic. Indeed, the use of social media in a society could influence individuals to change their behaviour in a positive or negative way. The case of the management of epidemics prevailing in the last decade, notably Ebola in DRC since 2018 and Corona-19 since 2019, had proven that the use of social media could be the cause of the spread of the epidemic rather than contributing to its eradication. Based on desk research, this qualitative study explored the campaign against the Ebola epidemic from the perspective of a health communication campaign. The study analyzed certain messages from social networks that were at the root of hostile behavior against the existence of the epidemic, which made its management difficult in Butembo and Beni. The study found that social networks had a significant impact on the management of the Ebola epidemic, serving as an effective means of communication to reach a large number of people in real-time. However, stakeholders must become more active and responsible for their lives during epidemics. Health communication is crucial in changing the behavior of stakeholders, and tools of persuasion should be linked to the values and attitudes of the target audiences. Non-frontal communication, where the target is seen as sharing the same goals, is also essential. While individual behavioral changes are necessary, collective movements, politics, and institutions must also be targeted to achieve a more just and sustainable society. The essay provides recommendations to improve health communication during an epidemic such as Ebola. These include involving the local population in the response process, providing accurate and comprehensive information on the disease, being culturally sensitive, and maintaining continuous communication with regular updates on the response efforts. By implementing these recommendations, health communication can be more effective in promoting behaviour change and preventing the spread of the disease.