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Vol. 1 No. 2 (2024)

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February 8, 2026
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December 31, 2024

Copyright (c) 2024 Omad Naif Aldhafeeri, Hamed Tarqi Alanazi, Ahmed Asi Hassan Alshammari, Abdullah Ali Mesfer Alharbi, Salamah Falah Aljameeli, Mashari Saad D Alshammari, Faisal Asi H Alshammari, Majed Hussain M Alanazi

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Weaponized Ignorance: A Narrative Review of Digital Infodemics as a Determinant of Health Equity and National Security in the Post-Truth Era

https://doi.org/10.64483/202412638
Omad Naif Aldhafeeri
Hafar Al-Batin Health Cluster King Khalid General Hospital in Hafar Al-Batin, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Hamed Tarqi Alanazi
Hafar Al-Batin Health Cluster King Khalid General Hospital in Hafar Al-Batin, Ministry of Health , Saudi Arabia
Ahmed Asi Hassan Alshammari
Hafar Al-Batin Health Cluster King Khalid General Hospital in Hafar Al-Batin, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Abdullah Ali Mesfer Alharbi
Hafar Al-Batin Health Cluster King Khalid General Hospital in Hafar Al-Batin, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Salamah Falah Aljameeli
Hafar Al-Batin Health Cluster King Khalid General Hospital in Hafar Al-Batin, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Mashari Saad D Alshammari
Hafar Al-Batin Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Faisal Asi H Alshammari
Eradah And Mintal Hospital, Hafr Al Batin, Hafar Al-Batin Health Cluster, ‏Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Majed Hussain M Alanazi
Hafar Al-Batin Health Cluster King Khalid General Hospital in Hafar Al-Batin, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia

Corresponding Author(s) : Omad Naif Aldhafeeri

amod1438@gmail.com

Saudi Journal of Medicine and Public Health, Vol. 1 No. 2 (2024)

Abstract

Background: In the contemporary digital ecosystem, the emergence and amplification of health-related misinformation and disinformation—termed “infodemics”—has become a parallel crisis to biological pandemics. These infodemics, whether organic or deliberate, erode the foundational pillars of effective public health: trust, social cohesion, and evidence-based decision-making.


Aim: This narrative review aims to critically analyze the mechanisms and impacts of digital infodemics, framing them as a direct, non-traditional determinant of population health outcomes, health equity, and national security.


Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across interdisciplinary databases (PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Communication & Mass Media Complete) for peer-reviewed articles, reports, and policy documents from 2010-2024.


Results: The review identifies a triad of infodemic impacts: (1) Cognitive Sabotage, which fragments shared reality and fuels science denialism; (2) Behavioral Non-Compliance, directly reducing adherence to protective measures and vaccine uptake, disproportionately harming marginalized groups; and (3) Institutional Erosion, systematically degrading trust in health authorities and democratic institutions. These effects are often amplified by algorithmic platform architecture and, in some cases, deployed as a geopolitical strategy.


Conclusion: Digital infodemics constitute a profound threat to 21st-century health security, acting as a force multiplier for pathogens and a driver of inequity. Countering this threat requires a paradigm shift: recognizing information integrity as a public good and building multidisciplinary resilience through prebunking, strategic communication, platform accountability, and media literacy integrated into health equity frameworks.

Keywords

Infodemic, Health Disinformation, Weaponized Narratives, Health Equity, Health Security
Aldhafeeri, O. N., Alanazi, H. T., Alshammari, A. A. H., Alharbi, A. A. M., Aljameeli, S. F., Alshammari, M. S. D., … Alanazi, M. H. M. (2024). Weaponized Ignorance: A Narrative Review of Digital Infodemics as a Determinant of Health Equity and National Security in the Post-Truth Era. Saudi Journal of Medicine and Public Health, 1(2), 2299–2305. https://doi.org/10.64483/202412638
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