Publications

The proliferation of health misinformation on social media platforms poses a critical threat to global public health. This narrative review explores the scope, characteristics, mechanisms, and impacts of health misinformation disseminated through major social media platforms between 2000 and 2023. Drawing from peer-reviewed studies, the review identifies the structural, psychological, and sociocultural factors that facilitate misinformation diffusion and examines the role of algorithmic amplification, echo chambers, and influencer-driven narratives in shaping public perceptions. Health misinformation spans a broad range of topics including vaccines, infectious diseases, nutrition, and therapeutic interventions and often exploits emotional engagement, distrust in institutions, and politicized discourse to achieve virality. The review highlights key mechanisms of spread, such as manipulation of narratives, exploitation of algorithmic incentives, and coordinated campaigns by misinformation actors. It also discusses the profound implications for individual health decisions, collective behavior, and public trust in science. While platform-level interventions (e.g., fact-checking, labelling, and content moderation) and public health communication strategies show promise, their overall effectiveness remains limited by inconsistent implementation and contextual variability. The study concludes that combating health misinformation requires an integrated, multi-stakeholder approach that strengthens health literacy, ethical platform governance, and collaborative risk communication across global, national, and community levels.