2 research outputs found
Evaluation of a national program to distribute free face masks in Uganda: Evidence from Mbale District
Background: COVID-19 posed a major threat to countries around the world, but many nations in sub-Saharan Africa avoided large-scale outbreaks. In Uganda, the government first enacted strict lockdowns but later focused on public health policies like masking and distancing. The government also embarked on an ambitious campaign to deliver a free face mask to all Ugandan citizens (approx. 30 million masks). We test whether mask distribution, and public education and encouragement of mask use by community health volunteers, affected mask behavior. Methods: We collected data about mask behavior before and after masks were distributed in the Mbale district of Uganda. Trained enumerators directly observed mask wearing in public places and asked about mask use via phone surveys. We compared observed and self-reported mask behavior before and after masks were distributed. We also tested whether training volunteers from randomly selected villages to educate the public about COVID-19 and masks affected behavior, attitudes, and knowledge among mask recipients. Results: We collected 6,381 direct observations of mask use at baseline (February 2021) and 19,855 observations at endline (April 2021). We conducted a listing of 9,410 households eligible for phone surveys and randomly selected 399 individuals (4.2%) at baseline and 640 (6.8%) at endline. Fewer than 1% of individuals were observed wearing masks at baseline: 0.9% were seen with a mask and 0.5% wore masks over mouth and nose. Mask wearing significantly increased at endline but remained low: 1.8% of people were observed with masks and 1.1% were seen wearing masks correctly after the distribution campaign. At the same time, a high proportion of people reported using masks: 63.0% of people reported using masks at baseline and 65.3% at endline when walking around their villages. When respondents were asked about mask use in public places, 94.7% reported using masks at baseline and 97.4% reported using masks at endline. We found no differences in knowledge, behavior, or attitudes among mask recipients in villages where volunteers were tasked with conveying information about COVID-19 and masks during distribution. Conclusion: Mask use remained low in Mbale district of Uganda during study observation period even after free masks were distributed. Encouraging new health behaviors may need to involve more intensive interventions that include reminders and address social norms
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Evaluation Of A National Program To Distribute Free Masks For COVID-19 Prevention In Uganda: Evidence From Mbale District
The slow rollout of vaccines in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and the emergence of new COVID-19 variants underscore the critical role masks continue to play two years into the pandemic. Given face masks’ low cost and relative ease of use, a key question facing policymakers is whether populations are heeding the advice to wear masks, and what strategies are especially effective to encourage mask take-up. We evaluated a national program to distribute masks in Uganda, which reached the Mbale District in March 2021, to assess whether distribution of free masks alone or distribution paired with education about masks and COVID-19 encourages mask use