• A total of 80 projects across 17 African countries have been selected for funding.
• DSAT will assist in demystifying conspiracy theories around COVID -19 in the country
• The projects in science Journalism will address topics such as exploring the role and effectiveness of the media in the dissemination of information.

National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) discloses that Dziwa Science and Technology Trust (DSAT) has received US$19,782 as part of the COVID -19 Africa Rapid Fund for the project in science journalism to run for 18 months.

NSTC Acting Executive Secretary Filipo Zulu in a statement issued to Money FM News said the multilateral and bilateral collaborations that NSTC has entered into with various organizations on behalf of Government in areas of Science, Technology and Innovation are bearing fruits.

Mr. Zulu added that the collaborations are also benefiting organizations in the science enterprise who are complimenting governments’ efforts in promoting Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) a key driver of socio – economic development.

He said DSAT will assist in demystifying conspiracy theories around COVID -19 in the country and provide the public with evidence-based information regarding the COVID -19 Pandemic.

“A total of 80 projects across 17 African countries have been selected for funding under the COVID-19 Africa Rapid Grant Fund, which was launched in May 2020,” the statement read.

Meanwhile Dziwa Science and Technology Trust Executive Director Mrs. Veronica Mwaba who is also the Principal Investigator for the project said the Linking Science Society to Better Lives (COVID19 LinkSS) project will bring together, researchers, media, academia, NGO’s, public and private sector to highlight the impact of COVID-19 pandemic scientific research and its relevance to society.

“The projects in science Journalism will address topics such as exploring the role and effectiveness of the media in the dissemination of information and misinformation; developing effective communication strategies to counter COVID-19 misinformation; exploring how misinformation spreads; and methods to alleviate the fear generated by misinformation.”