ASWMUN 2025

Topic

Combatting health misinformation and disinformation in the age of social media

About the committee

In recent years, the rise of social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube has led to a surge in health-related misinformation, posing a growing threat to global public health. While these platforms can be valuable tools for spreading awareness, they are also widely used to promote unverified and sometimes dangerous health advice, such as extreme diets like the "carnivore diet," false claims about detox routines, or misleading mental health and vaccine information. Many of these trends particularly target younger audiences, who may lack the critical skills to distinguish evidence-based advice from viral myths. The COVID-19 pandemic briefly highlighted the deadly consequences of misinformation, as false claims about vaccines, treatments, and preventive measures spread rapidly and undermined public trust in health authorities. As health misinformation continues to evolve beyond the pandemic, the international community faces an urgent challenge: to combat the spread of false health narratives online while respecting digital rights and freedom of expression, particularly in vulnerable and underinformed communities.

Chairs

• Mark Petryshyn
• German Khmelevoi

Countries