YouTube expands health features in India

Mumbai, March 24 (IANS) Google-owned YouTube on Thursday announced the roll-out of two new features: health source information panels and health content shelves to help people access videos from verified sources more easily.

The new features, which will be available in English and Hindi, will enable wider reach, the company said in a statement.

The health source information panel will provide context to help viewers identify videos from authoritative sources. These health labels will show up under videos from accredited health organisations and government entities, so viewers can better evaluate the source of information and distinguish credible health content on YouTube.

Health content shelves will more effectively highlight videos from authoritative sources when viewers search for specific health topics.

For example, when users search for specific health conditions such as heart disease, breast cancer among many others, a new content shelf in search will surface videos related to the relevant health topic from accredited health organisations and government entities. These shelves are intended to visually separate and highlight authoritative videos in search.

"Video can help make complicated, clinical topics understandable and accessible in ways that text simply cannot," said Dr. Garth Graham, Director and Global Head of Healthcare and Public Health, YouTube, in a statement.

"YouTube has the potential to transform how healthcare providers inform, educate, and motivate people to live healthier lives. We remain committed to our mission to provide equitable access to highly authoritative health information that is evidence-based, culturally relevant and engaging," he added.

YouTube has become an indispensable part of the lives of millions of Indians. But the need for credible information that addressed widespread misinformation was felt more during the pandemic. Recognising the need, YouTube created a destination for users to find reliable content in more than eight Indian languages from authoritative sources featuring content from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, leading hospitals and popular creators.

Since February 2020, YouTube's information panels and efforts to help users find authoritative Covid information across the platform's homepage have been shown more than 250 billion times in India.

According to Oxford Economics Impact Report 2021, 69 per cent of users said that YouTube has been a reliable source of information since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

YouTube Health also partnered with leading health organisations, as well as with clinicians and creators, and continued to increase the accessibility of high quality health content on the platform. Besides information around Covid, YouTube Health also launched health panels for depression and anxiety from authoritative sources.