Fighting disinformation gets harder, just when it matters most
Researchers and governments need to co-ordinate; tech companies need to open up
In February 2024 America’s State Department revealed that it had uncovered a Russian operation designed to discredit Western-run health programmes in Africa. The operation included spreading rumours that dengue fever, a mosquito-borne illness, was created by an American NGO, and that Africans who received treatment were being used as test subjects by American military researchers. The campaign, based around a Russian-funded news site, was intended to sow division and harm America’s reputation. Discouraging Africans from seeking health care was collateral damage along the way.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “A steep, steep hill”
From the May 4th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Science & technology
Can you breathe stress away?
It won’t hurt to try. But scientists are only beginning to understand the links between the breath and the mind
The Economist’s science and technology internship
We invite applications for the 2025 Richard Casement internship
A better understanding of Huntington’s disease brings hope
Previous research seems to have misinterpreted what is going on
Is obesity a disease?
It wasn’t. But it is now
Volunteers with Down’s syndrome could help find Alzheimer’s drugs
Those with the syndrome have more of a protein implicated in dementia
Should you start lifting weights?
You’ll stay healthier for longer if you’re strong