scholarly journals Knowledge, Attitude and Perception of West Africans Towards COVID-19: A Survey to Inform Public Health Intervention

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aniefiok John Udoakang ◽  
Alexandra Lindsey Djomkam Zune ◽  
Kesego Tapela ◽  
Owoicho Oloche ◽  
Ifeoluwa Kayode Fagbohun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
African Countries ◽  
First Case ◽  
West Africans

Abstract Background: The first case of the novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in West Africa was first confirmed in Nigeria in February 2020. Since then, several public health interventions and preventive measures have been implemented to curtail transmission of the causative agent, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Therefore, this study was performed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of West Africans towards COVID-19. Methods: An online survey was conducted between 29 September to 29 October 2020 among West Africans. Thirty-three survey questions were designed to collate demographics data and participants’ knowledge, attitude and perception towards COVID-19.Results: Overall, 1106 respondents from 16 West African countries, ranging from 1 to 548 with about 11.8% residing outside the subregion, participated in the survey. The respondents had an average COVID-19 knowledge score of 67.82 ± 8.31, with knowledge of the disease significantly associated with the country of residence (P = 0.00) and marginally so in settlement types (P = 0.05). Most respondents (93.4%) could identify the main COVID-19 symptoms, and 73.20% would consult a healthcare professional if infected with SARS-CoV-2. Also, 75.2% of the respondents are willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, whereas 10.40% and 14.40 % are unwilling and undecided, respectively. Perceptions of what constitute COVID-19 preventive measures were highly variable. Approximately, 8% of the respondents felt that their government responded excellently in managing the pandemic while a third felt that the response was just good. Also, more than half (54%) opined that isolation and treatment of COVID-19 patients is a way of curbing SARS-CoV-2 spread.Conclusions: Most West Africans have basic knowledge of COVID-19 and showed a positive attitude, with likely proactive practice towards the disease. However, results showed that these varied across countries and are influenced by the types of settlements. Therefore, the health and education authorities in various countries should develop focused measures capturing people in different settlements to improve their preventative measures when designing public health interventions for COVID-19 and any future epidemics or pandemics.

scholarly journals Sub-Saharan Africa preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic: A perspective of early career African scientists

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
Gisele Umviligihozo ◽  
Lucy Mupfumi ◽  
Nelson Sonela ◽  
Delon Naicker ◽  
Ekwaro A. Obuku ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
First Case ◽  
Sub Saharan

Emerging highly transmissible viral infections such as SARS-CoV-2 pose a significant global threat to human health and the economy. Since its first appearance in December 2019 in the city of Wuhan, Hubei province, China, SARS-CoV-2 infection has quickly spread across the globe, with the first case reported on the African continent, in Egypt on February 14th, 2020. Although the global number of COVID-19 infections has increased exponentially since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of new infections and deaths recorded in African countries have been relatively modest, suggesting slower transmission dynamics of the virus on the continent, a lower case fatality rate, or simply a lack of testing or reliable data. Notably, there is no significant increase in unexplained pneumonias or deaths on the continent which could possibly indicate the effectiveness of interventions introduced by several African governments. However, there has not yet been a comprehensive assessment of sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic that may have contributed to prevent an uncontrolled outbreak so far. As a group of early career scientists and the next generation of African scientific leaders with experience of working in medical and diverse health research fields in both SSA and resource-rich countries, we present a unique perspective on the current public health interventions to fight COVID-19 in Africa. Our perspective is based on extensive review of the available scientific publications, official technical reports and announcements released by governmental and non-governmental health organizations as well as from our personal experiences as workers on the COVID-19 battlefield in SSA. We documented public health interventions implemented in seven SSA countries including Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Cameroon, Zambia, South Africa and Botswana, the existing gaps and the important components of disease control that may strengthen SSA response to future outbreaks.

scholarly journals Sub-Saharan Africa preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic: A perspective of early career African scientists

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
Gisele Umviligihozo ◽  
Lucy Mupfumi ◽  
Nelson Sonela ◽  
Delon Naicker ◽  
Ekwaro A. Obuku ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
First Case ◽  
Sub Saharan

Emerging highly transmissible viral infections such as SARS-CoV-2 pose a significant global threat to human health and the economy. Since its first appearance in December 2019 in the city of Wuhan, Hubei province, China, SARS-CoV-2 infection has quickly spread across the globe, with the first case reported on the African continent, in Egypt on February 14th, 2020. Although the global number of COVID-19 infections has increased exponentially since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of new infections and deaths recorded in African countries have been relatively modest, suggesting slower transmission dynamics of the virus on the continent, a lower case fatality rate, or simply a lack of testing or reliable data. Notably, there is no significant increase in unexplained pneumonias or deaths on the continent which could possibly indicate the effectiveness of interventions introduced by several African governments. However, there has not yet been a comprehensive assessment of sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic that may have contributed to prevent an uncontrolled outbreak so far. As a group of early career scientists and the next generation of African scientific leaders with experience of working in medical and diverse health research fields in both SSA and resource-rich countries, we present a unique perspective on the current public health interventions to fight COVID-19 in Africa. Our perspective is based on extensive review of the available scientific publications, official technical reports and announcements released by governmental and non-governmental health organizations as well as from our personal experiences as workers on the COVID-19 battlefield in SSA. We documented public health interventions implemented in seven SSA countries including Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Cameroon, Zambia, South Africa and Botswana, the existing gaps and the important components of disease control that may strengthen SSA response to future outbreaks.

scholarly journals Sub-Saharan Africa preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic: A perspective of early career African scientists

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
Gisele Umviligihozo ◽  
Lucy Mupfumi ◽  
Nelson Sonela ◽  
Delon Naicker ◽  
Ekwaro A. Obuku ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
First Case ◽  
Sub Saharan

Emerging highly transmissible viral infections such as SARS-CoV-2 pose a significant global threat to human health and the economy. Since its first appearance in December 2019 in the city of Wuhan, Hubei province, China, SARS-CoV-2 infection has quickly spread across the globe, with the first case reported on the African continent, in Egypt on February 14th, 2020. Although the global number of COVID-19 infections has increased exponentially since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of new infections and deaths recorded in African countries have been relatively modest, suggesting slower transmission dynamics of the virus on the continent, a lower case fatality rate, or simply a lack of testing or reliable data. Notably, there is no significant increase in unexplained pneumonias or deaths on the continent which could possibly indicate the effectiveness of interventions introduced by several African governments. However, there has not yet been a comprehensive assessment of sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic that may have contributed to prevent an uncontrolled outbreak so far. As a group of early career scientists and the next generation of African scientific leaders with experience of working in medical and diverse health research fields in both SSA and resource-rich countries, we present a unique perspective on the current public health interventions to fight COVID-19 in Africa. Our perspective is based on extensive review of the available scientific publications, official technical reports and announcements released by governmental and non-governmental health organizations as well as from our personal experiences as workers on the COVID-19 battlefield in SSA. We documented public health interventions implemented in seven SSA countries including Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Cameroon, Zambia, South Africa and Botswana, the existing gaps and the important components of disease control that may strengthen SSA response to future outbreaks.

scholarly journals Leveraging Rich Data and Machine Learning to Facilitate Policy Making on Public Health Interventions in Fighting to Contain the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Qiu
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Machine Learning ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Research Direction ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Short Article ◽  
The World ◽  
Rich Data

<p>This is a short article, focusing on promoting more study on SEIR modeling by leveraging rich data and machine learning. We believe that this is extremely critical as many regions at the country or state/provincial levels have been struggling with their public health intervention policies on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Some recent published papers on mitigation measures show promising SEIR modeling results, which could shred the light for other policymakers at different community levels. We present our perspective on this research direction. Hopefully, we can stimulate more studies and help the world win this “war” against the invisible enemy “coronavirus” sooner rather than later. </p>

scholarly journals Impacts of a Documentary about Masculinity and Men’s Health

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1604-1614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kylie King ◽  
Marisa Schlichthorst ◽  
Lennart Reifels ◽  
Louise Keogh ◽  
Matthew J. Spittal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Men’S Health ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Men's Health ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Qualitative Feedback ◽  
Helping Others ◽  
The Relationship

As part of a larger study, we developed a three-part documentary called Man Up that explored the relationship between masculinity, mental health, and suicide. In this study, we examine in detail the qualitative feedback provided by those who viewed Man Up, in order to gain a more in-depth understanding of its impact on them. A total of 169 participants provided qualitative feedback via an online survey 4 weeks after viewing Man Up. We examined their opinions about the show and whether they reported any changes in their attitudes and/or behaviors as a result of watching it. All the men who provided feedback on Man Up were overwhelmingly positive about it. The majority reported significant and profound impacts of viewing the documentary. They reported being more aware of others, more willing to help others, and more open about their emotions and problems, as well as demonstrating associated behavioral changes related to helping others and being more emotionally expressive. The data presented here demonstrate the potential for men’s health outcomes to be positively impacted by novel, media-based public health interventions.

scholarly journals The role of risk communication in public health interventions. An analysis of risk communication for a community quarantine in Germany to curb the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0256113
Author(s):  
Juliane Scholz ◽  
Wibke Wetzker ◽  
Annika Licht ◽  
Rainer Heintzmann ◽  
André Scherag ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Communication ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Information Level ◽  
Public Health Authorities

Background Separating ill or possibly infectious people from their healthy community is one of the core principles of non-pharmaceutical interventions. However, there is scarce evidence on how to successfully implement quarantine orders. We investigated a community quarantine for an entire village in Germany (Neustadt am Rennsteig, March 2020) with the aim of better understanding the successful implementation of quarantine measures. Methods This cross-sectional survey was conducted in Neustadt am Rennsteig six weeks after the end of a 14-day mandatory community quarantine. The sample size consisted of 562 adults (64% of the community), and the response rate was 295 adults, or 52% (33% of the community). Findings National television was reported as the most important channel of information. Contact with local authorities was very limited, and partners or spouses played a more important role in sharing information. Generally, the self-reported information level was judged to be good (211/289 [73.0%]). The majority of participants (212/289 [73.4%]) approved of the quarantine, and the reported compliance was 217/289 (75.1%). A self-reported higher level of concern as well as a higher level of information correlated positively with both a greater acceptance of quarantine and self-reported compliant behaviour. Interpretation The community quarantine presented a rare opportunity to investigate a public health intervention for an entire community. In order to improve the implementation of public health interventions, public health risk communication activities should be intensified to increase both the information level (potentially leading to better compliance with community quarantine) and the communication level (to facilitate rapport and trust between public health authorities and their communities).

scholarly journals Adapting Syndromic Surveillance Baselines After Public Health Interventions

2020 ◽  
Vol 135 (6) ◽  
pp. 737-745
Author(s):  
Roger Antony Morbey ◽  
Alex James Elliot ◽  
Gillian Elizabeth Smith ◽  
Andre Charlett
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Syndromic Surveillance ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Step Change ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
False Alarms ◽  
Rotavirus Vaccine ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Before And After

Background Public health surveillance requires historical baselines to identify unusual activity. However, these baselines require adjustment after public health interventions. We describe an example of such an adjustment after the introduction of rotavirus vaccine in England in July 2013. Methods We retrospectively measured the magnitude of differences between baselines and observed counts (residuals) before and after the introduction of a public health intervention, the introduction of a rotavirus vaccine in July 2013. We considered gastroenteritis, diarrhea, and vomiting to be indicators for national syndromic surveillance, including telephone calls to a telehealth system, emergency department visits, and unscheduled consultations with general practitioners. The start of the preintervention period varied depending on the availability of surveillance data: June 2005 for telehealth, November 2009 for emergency departments, and July 2010 for general practitioner data. The postintervention period was July 2013 to the second quarter of 2016. We then determined whether baselines incorporating a step-change reduction or a change in seasonality resulted in more accurate models of activity. Results Residuals in the unadjusted baseline models increased by 42%-198% from preintervention to postintervention. Increases in residuals for vomiting indicators were 19%-44% higher than for diarrhea. Both step-change and seasonality adjustments improved the surveillance models; we found the greatest reduction in residuals in seasonally adjusted models (4%-75%). Conclusion Our results demonstrated the importance of adjusting surveillance baselines after public health interventions, particularly accounting for changes in seasonality. Adjusted baselines produced more representative expected values than did unadjusted baselines, resulting in fewer false alarms and a greater likelihood of detecting public health threats.

Plague and trade in Lagos, 1924–1931

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olukayode A. Faleye
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Economic Policy ◽  
Medical Records ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Historical Study ◽  
Maritime Trade ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
The Third

The literature on the Third Plague Pandemic in West Africa focuses on urbanisation and disease processes in colonial Senegal, Ghana, and Nigeria. Consequently, there is a dearth of historical study of the relational complexities between public health interventions and maritime trade during the outbreak in the region. It is with this in mind that this article examines the historical effects of plague control on internal commerce and international maritime trade in Lagos from 1924 to 1931. The study is based on the historical analysis of colonial administrative, sanitary and medical records as well as newspaper reports. It concludes that the nature of colonial public health intervention was determined by economic policy preferences that impacted distinctively on internal commerce and international maritime trade in Lagos.

scholarly journals Leveraging Rich Data and Machine Learning to Facilitate Policy Making on Public Health Interventions in Fighting to Contain the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Qiu
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Machine Learning ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Research Direction ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Short Article ◽  
The World ◽  
Rich Data

<p>This is a short article, focusing on promoting more study on SEIR modeling by leveraging rich data and machine learning. We believe that this is extremely critical as many regions at the country or state/provincial levels have been struggling with their public health intervention policies on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Some recent published papers on mitigation measures show promising SEIR modeling results, which could shred the light for other policymakers at different community levels. We present our perspective on this research direction. Hopefully, we can stimulate more studies and help the world win this “war” against the invisible enemy “coronavirus” sooner rather than later. </p>

scholarly journals A case study of the evaluation of a public health intervention

2006 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley Forssman ◽  
Leena Gupta ◽  
Graham Burgess
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Public Health Action ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Evaluation Approach ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Health Action

Large public health interventions to control infectious disease outbreaks are common, but rigorous evaluation to improve the quality and effectiveness of these is rarely undertaken. Following a large community-based clinic to prevent a hepatitis A outbreak, a multifaceted and multidisciplinary evaluation was conducted involving consumers, health professionals and industry partners. The results of this evaluation were used to produce practical operational guidelines for the planning and conduct of future interventions. These guidelines have been distributed to all public health units in New South Wales and may be included in the next edition of the NSW Health notifiable diseases manual. The evaluation approach can be applied to all public health interventions across NSW and Australia to assist in the development of operational guidelines, in order to increase the quality of public health action in outbreak prevention.

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