Public Health Campaigns & Communities
Public health is defined as the science of protecting the safety and improving the health of communities through education, policy making and research for disease and injury prevention. (What is the definition of public health? N.d.). Those with public health degrees keep communities healthy through child wellness, disease prevention, education, disaster relief, clean water, access to healthcare, and much more.
Why is public health important? Public health is important because it can help to analyse the overall condition in the community. Without a public health system, it will be challenging for any health worker to determine the circumstances, needs, and areas of improvement for a specific community. Besides, the community can rally for financial assistance and priorities in the budget of the government. (Why A Public Health System Is Important In Communities 2019). For example, now that the current pandemic outbreak, COVID-19, is becoming serious day by day, which cause multiple deaths, the Malaysian government are fully involve to help and guide the community in this outbreak by enforcing Movement Control Order (MCO) to decrease the spreading of this virus and constantly post latest updates on social media such as news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Besides, the government is allocating an additional RM600 million for Health Ministry to combat COVID-19. These additional funds will be used to purchase equipment like ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical staff as well as to beef up manpower. (Yusof 2020).
Is social media useful in spreading information on covid-19 in Malaysia or your home country?
According to The Star 2020, in Kuala Lumpur, a social media post by a Malaysian doctor, Dr Gee Teak Sheng, urging the public to obey to the government’s restricted movement order (RMO) has triggered a #StayAtHome and #KitaJagaKita (We take care of ourselves) campaign on social media. He took to Facebook to remind Malaysians that staying home would help to not only curb the spread but also lighten the burden of front-line medical experts during this crucial time. In less than 12 hours, the post has spread like wildfire and have gained at least 17,000 likes and 57,000 shares on the social media platform. Nevertheless, despite the government’s order to cancel all mass gatherings, some Malaysians were still seen flouting it by eating out and gathering at public parks, which led to Dr Gee posting the content. So other health workers have also joined in by posting similar posts and tweeting on the importance of keeping one another safe and have used the #StayAtHome. The hashtag is currently trending on Twitter, with more than 150,000 tweets have been posted on the matter it so far, which led to the general public responding with the #KitaJagaKita hashtag, with many thanking the medical professionals for their service, as well as encouraging one another to be more responsible by staying put and aware of the situation.
However, as the world fights COVID-19, the online public sphere across the world is witnessing unprecedented misinformation and fake news. Misinformation is contributing to paranoia and making the fight against COVID-19 even tougher. According to Leong 2020, the news of “Special military helicopters will spray pesticide from the sky all over the country tonight, so please stay indoors” is just one of the hundreds of fake messages that have made the rounds of mobile phones across Malaysia in recent weeks as the country imposes a partial shutdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Malaysia’s civil servants and medical experts have not been spared, with fake information being falsely attributed to them on social media. With that said, one such victim was Datuk Christopher Lee, a former health ministry official specialising in infectious diseases. A WhatsApp message claiming to be from him warned people against touching letters, in case they contracted COVID-19from the envelope. Besides that, there are chain messages on WhatsApp saying that most common virus miracle cures circulating online include gargling salt water, drinking boiled ginger and eating garlic. These have been discredited by experts. (Leong 2020).
In conclusion, I believe social media is both useful but also not fully reliable in spreading information on COVID-19 in Malaysia. Yes, social media could help in spreading awareness about the danger of this virus and tips on how to avoid getting them, however, it could also help to spreading false news which could cause more damage, for example, sparking panic buying at supermarkets or people promoting false cures and scamming millions of ringgit off buyers desperate to get their hands on surgical masks.
List of references
Covid-19: Two Malaysia hashtags, including #StayAtHome, trending in the country, 2020, The Star, viewed 9 May 2020, <https://www.thestar.com.my/news/regional/2020/03/19/covid-19-two-malaysia-hashtags-including-stayathome-trending-in-the-country>.
Leong, T 2020, False information goes viral as Malaysia tackles coronavirus outbreak, The Straits Times, viewed 9 May 2020, <https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/coronavirus-false-information-goes-viral-as-malaysia-tackles-outbreak>.
What is the definition of public health? n.d., University of Pittsburgh, viewed 9 May 2020, <https://www.publichealth.pitt.edu/careers/what-is-public-health>.
Why A Public Health System Is Important In Communities 2019, Healthcare Business Today, viewed 9 May 2020, <https://www.healthcarebusinesstoday.com/why-a-public-health-system-is-important-in-communities/>.
Yusof, A 2020, Malaysia government allocates additional RM600 million for Health Ministry to combat COVID-19, CAN newsletters, viewed 9 May 2020, <https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-covid-19-muhyiddin-movement-control-order-jun-9-extend-12718738>.




















