In Nigeria, the mass media are used independently or complementarily in health promotion activities to achieve positive lifestyle changes. The mass media can play a positive role in combating the Lassa fever epidemic and its attendant fatality in Nigeria. The present review is necessitated by the widespread reportage and persistence of Lassa fever infection and fatality in Nigeria. From June to October 2018, the authors searched for relevant information in the grey literature, Scopus database, PubMed, Cochrane database, Google, and Nigerian newspapers and magazines, among other sources. Based on the reviewed literature, the authors argue that the mass media reportage of Lassa fever is limited in its content and undermined by poor network connection, the time of the day the broadcasts are made, and people's indifference. These factors have posed a hindrance to health and environmental behaviours that would help to prevent Lassa fever and have resulted in cases of Lassa fever. It is recommended that media reporters intensify efforts at understanding the best time of the day to broadcast Lassa fever prevention information. The mass media should also make efforts toward providing accurate information regarding disease outbreak because this might help reduce panic and resistance to control and prevention measures.

Although progress has been made in examining different aspects of the conflict between farmers and herdsmen in Nigeria, literature is yet to focus on how to empower displaced persons of the conflict with knowledge and skills that will make them self-sufficient. In this study, we extended literature on the conflict by examining the effectiveness of a small group communication counselling intervention on knowledge and intention towards painting. We categorized the IDPs into 20 small groups made up of 9 persons and 14 smaller groups made up of 4 persons. Within the framework of human capital theory and theory of planned behaviour, we tested two hypotheses and found that though both the treatment and control groups did not significantly differ in their mean scores on knowledge and intention towards the painting skill before the treatment, they significantly differed after the treatment with the treatment group reporting better knowledge of painting skill and positive intentions towards it. We also found that the smaller group of four persons scored higher in knowledge of painting than the larger group with up to nine members. We highlighted the implications of these results on efforts aimed at improving the lives of displaced persons.

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Summary The aim of this study was to understand the impact of counselling in countering fake news-related COVID-19 vaccine. We conducted two separate experiments. In the first experiment, we exposed the treatment group to fake news on COVID-19 vaccine through a WhatsApp group chat while the control group was not. We then tested the effectiveness of such fake news on their perception. In our second experiment, we exposed the treatment group to a social media-based counselling intervention wherein we attempted to counter the earlier fake news on COVID-19 vaccine which they were exposed to. We found that respondents who were exposed to fake news reported greater negative perception about COVID-19 vaccine than their counterparts in the control group. We also we found that as a result of the counselling intervention, the respondents in the treatment group reported more positive perception regarding COVID-19 vaccine while their counterparts in the control group who were earlier exposed to fake news on COVID-19 did not significantly change their perception. This study has highlighted the importance of counselling in countering fake news within the context of health promotion. This approach is yet to receive significant attention in literature, especially from developing countries.

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