In Brazil, an ODA country of 210 million people, a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line, making them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 infection.

Local efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on individuals and communities are hindered by fake news (Ricard & Medeiros 2020). In our project we study to what extent fake news has a negative influence on vulnerable groups by shaping their perception of the pandemic. The project also examines how communication is used by the pandemic-response networks to support mitigation strategies.

This interdisciplinary project falls within the remit of Arts and Humanities Research and Innovation/Global Challenge Research Fund by bringing Language, Culture, and Intercultural Communication together with Development Studies, Gamification and Healthcare.