From fragmented messaging to digital resilience: A health communication framework for artificial intelligence, climate change and infodemics

¹Emmanuel Ikechukwu Obi, ²Thaddeus Chijioke Asogwa, ³Victor Ositadinma Nvene

¹Department of Community Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

²Department of Community Medicine & Primary Health Care, Enugu State University College of Medicine (ESUCOM) Enugu, Enugu state, Nigeria.

³Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine, UNN Ituku/Ozalla, Enugu.

Email: Victor.nvene@unn.edu.ng  

ABSTRACT

Health communication is entering an era of unprecedented complexity. Artificial intelligence, climate change and increasingly sophisticated misinformation ecosystems are reshaping how individuals access information, interpret risk, trust institutions and adopt health behaviours. Although these challenges are often examined separately, their convergence is creating a communication environment characterised by information overload, algorithmic influence, climate-related uncertainty and declining trust. Artificial intelligence can improve access to personalised health information and support large-scale communication, yet it can also amplify misinformation, obscure source credibility and reproduce inequities. Climate change is generating new health risks while increasing psychological distress, risk uncertainty and demand for timely guidance. Infodemics further undermine public trust, distort risk perception and weaken behavioural adaptation. We argue that health communication must move beyond reactive misinformation correction towards a digital resilience paradigm that strengthens critical appraisal, trust, adaptive behaviour and community engagement before crises occur. We propose a Digital Resilience Communication Framework comprising artificial intelligence literacy, digital health literacy, climate-health communication, misinformation resilience, social listening, trusted messengers, youth engagement and participatory governance. The framework positions resilience as a central communication outcome and offers a practical pathway for strengthening public trust and behavioural adaptation in increasingly complex information environments.

Keywords: health communication; artificial intelligence; climate change; infodemic; misinformation; digital resilience; trust; behavioural adaptation.

CITE AS: Emmanuel Ikechukwu Obi, Thaddeus Chijioke Asogwa and Victor Ositadinma Nven (2026). From fragmented messaging to digital resilience: A health communication framework for artificial intelligence, climate change and infodemics. RESEARCH INVENTION JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN MEDICAL SCIENCES 5(1):122-127. https://doi.org/10.59298/RIJRMS/2026/51122127