Are Health Workers in Nigeria Prepared for the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Case Study of Selected Health Workers in Plateau State, Nigeria

Background: COVID-19 is a disease that has resulted in a worldwide pandemic. Health workers have been identified to be at a higher risk compared to the general population due to increased exposure primarily at the work place and having to deal with a novel disease whose epidemiology is still evolving. As health workers are vital to control efforts, their response will be influenced by what they know, their perception of the disease and their practices. This study therefore sought to assess the knowledge, perceptions and practices of health workers on COVID-19 in Plateau State, Nigeria. Method: It is a descriptive study that used a self-administered questionnaire to collect data on 105 health workers of Plateau State who were purposively selected. Data was collected on their knowledge, perceptions and practice of COVID-19 and analyzed using SPSS version 23 at a confidence interval of 95%. Results: Mean age of health workers was 42.5 ± 9.2 years.  Females made up 58% of the respondents, males were 42%.  Nurses made up 69% of the respondents.  More than 70% had worked for 10 – 29 years. Knowledge of COVID-19 was found to be inadequate in 57% of the health workers with social media being most frequent (69.5%) source of information. Most (86.6%) respondents had a good perception towards COVID-19 and 62.8% were willing to attend to a COVID-19 patient. There were consistent practices of hand hygiene and cough etiquette. Sixty percent had access to at least one form of personal protective equipment though 72.4% had never had training on putting on the full personal protective gear required for COVID-19. Conclusion: There is an urgent need for training of health care workers in Plateau State and provision of full personal protective gear to ensure their safety at work

The impact of information sources on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance in sub-Saharan Africa

Background Vaccination remains the most powerful weapon against the emergence of new variants of coronavirus (COVID-19). However, false information about COVID-19 vaccines through various platforms including social media remains a major threat to global public health. This study examined the impact of information sources on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods A validated web-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 14 March to 16 May 2021, and was administered in both French and English to 2572 participants aged 18 years and over. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, medical and vaccination history, and the information sources (mainstream media and social media) used by the participants during the pandemic were obtained. There were three main outcomes: The vaccinated group were those who responded in the affirmation (Yes) to the question of whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Those who responded ‘not sure’ or ‘no’ to the question were then asked if they were willing to be vaccinated when the vaccine became available in their home countries. The responses to this follow-up question were used to derive the second and third outcome variables of ‘vaccine hesitancy’ and ‘vaccine resistance’, respectively. A series of logistic regression analyses were used to examine the impact of information sources on the three main outcomes. Results The prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among the participants was lowest among newspaper readers (42%) and highest among TV (72%) and social media users (73%). The prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine-resistance was also lowest among newspaper readers (37%) but highest among social media users (87%). Multivariate analyses revealed that compared to those who did not use these information sources, SSA participants who relied on the radio (aOR 0.83, 95%CI = 0.70, 0.99), TV (aOR 0.80, 95%CI = 0.65, 0.97) and social media (aOR 0.79, 95%CI = 0.65, 0.97) for information during the pandemic were less likely to be hesitant towards taking the vaccines. However, social media users (aOR 2.13, 95%CI = 1.62, 2.80), those who watched TV (aOR 1.40, 95%CI =1.08, 1.80), relied on healthcare workers (HCWs: aOR 1.32, 95%CI = 1.07, 1.63) and families/friends (aOR 1.31, 95%CI = 1.06, 1.61) for COVID-19 related information during the pandemic were more likely to resist taking the COVID vaccines in this study. Participants who relied on the newspaper for information during the pandemic were less likely to resist the vaccines (aOR 0.77, 95%CI = 0.62, 0.95) compared to non-readers of a newspaper. Conclusion We found that all six information sources except radio were strong predictors of the resistance towards COVID-19 vaccination. Further research on how these channels can be used to improve the availability of reliable healthcare information is needed. Investments in these resources will protect people and empower them to make appropriate choices about their health

Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine among sub-Saharan Africans (SSA): a comparative study of residents and diasporan dwellers

Background: The COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out across all the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries, with countries setting targets for achieving full vaccination rates. The aim of this study was to compare the uptake of, resistance and hesitancy to the COVID-19 vaccine between SSA locally residents and in the diasporan dwellers. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted using a web and paper-based questionnaire to obtain relevant information on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. The survey items included questions on demography, uptake and planned acceptance or non-acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccines among SSAs. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine probabilities of outcomes for factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination resistance and hesitancy among SSA respondents residing within and outside Africa. Results: Uptake of COVID-19 vaccines varied among the local (14.2%) and diasporan (25.3%) dwellers. There were more locals (68.1%) who were resistant to COVID-19 vaccine. Participants’ sex [adjusted relative risk (ARR) = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.58 – 0.93], education [primary/less: ARR = 0.22, CI:0.12 – 0.40, and bachelor’s degree: ARR = 0.58, CI: 0.43 – 0.77]), occupation [ARR = 0.32, CI: 0.25—0.40] and working status [ARR = 1.40, CI: 1.06—1.84] were associated with COVID-19 vaccine resistance among locals. Similar proportion of local and diasporan dwellers (~ 18% each) were hesitant to COVID-19 vaccine, and this was higher among health care workers [ARR = 0.25, CI: 0.10 – 0.62 and ARR = 0.24, CI:0.18—0.32, diaspora and locals respectively]. After adjusting for the potential confounders, local residents aged 29–38 years [ARR = 1.89, CI: 1.26—2.84] and lived in East Africa [ARR = 4.64, CI: 1.84—11.70] were more likely to report vaccine hesitancy. Knowledge of COVID vaccines was associated with hesitancy among local and diasporan dwellers, but perception was associated with vaccine resistance [ARR = 0.86,CI: 0.82 – 0.90] and hesitancy [ARR = 0.85, CI: 0.80 – 0.90], only among the local residents. Conclusions: Differences exist in the factors that influence COVID-19 vaccine acceptance between local SSA residents and thediasporan dwellers. Knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines affects the uptake, resistance, and hesitancy to the COVID-19 vaccine. Information campaigns focusing on the efficacy and safety of vaccines could lead to improved acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines

Acceptance and Risk Perception of COVID-19 Vaccination among Pregnant and Non Pregnant Women in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross-Sectional Matched-Sample Study

This study aims to evaluate the acceptance and risk perception of pregnant and non pregnant women towards COVID-19 vaccines using a cross-sectional matched-sample study approach. A web-based questionnaire with closed- and open-ended questions was administered to adults older than 18 years in the sub–Saharan African (SSA) region. Respondents (n = 131) were grouped based on their pregnancy status (54 pregnant and 77 non pregnant women) and matched for comparison by age. The matched groups were compared using the chi-square test and the t-test where appropriate. Compared to non pregnant women, pregnant women reported significantly lower risk perception scores of COVID-19 infection (3.74 vs. 5.78, p p n = 40) were concerned about the safety of the vaccine. After adjustment, women’s education, marital status, belief in misconceptions and risk perception were associated with non-vaccination among pregnant women. The content analysis revealed that pregnant women refused the vaccine due to mistrust of their countries’ health systems, concerns about the country where the vaccines were manufactured and a lack of confidence in the production process of the vaccines. This study shows the poor acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines among pregnant women in SSA, who perceived a lower risk of COVID-19 infection. Understanding the reasons for non-acceptance and the motivation to accept the COVID-19 vaccine could guide the development of health education and promotion programmes, and aid governments and policymakers in implementing targeted policy changes

Analysis of perception, reasons, and motivations for COVID-19 vaccination in people with diabetes Across Sub-Saharan Africa: A mixed method approach

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with severe COVID-19 infection and complications. This study assesses COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy in people with DM, and explores the reasons for not being vaccinated. This was a web-based cross-sectional survey using a mixed-method approach conducted in March–May 2021, corresponding to most sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries’ early vaccine rollout period. Participants were those aged ≥18 years with self-reported DM in 11 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Responses to comments on the reasons for vaccine hesitancy and facilitators for vaccine uptake were analyzed. Of the 73 participants with DM, 65.8% were males, older than 35 years (86.3%), had postsecondary education (90%), and a significant proportion were from South Africa (39.7%), Nigeria (28.8%) and Ghana (13.7%). At the time of this study, 64.4% experienced COVID-19 symptoms, 46.6% were tested for COVID-19, of which 19.2% tested positive. Few participants (6.8%) had received a COVID-19 vaccination, 65.8% were willing to take the vaccine when it becomes available in their country, while 26.0% either refused or remained hesitant towards taking the vaccine. The main identified reasons for not taking the vaccine were: advice from religious leaders; concerns about the safety, effects, and efficacy of the vaccines; mistrust of the pharmaceutical companies producing the vaccines and the process of production; the conspiracy theories around the vaccines; and the personal belief of the participants regarding vaccination. However, participants stated they would take the vaccine if they were more educated about it, received positive feedback from those vaccinated, were rewarded for taking the vaccine, or if vaccination became a condition for travel and employment. In conclusion, this study shows that the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine was very low in this high-risk group. Efforts to increase the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among people with diabetes are imperative, such as the provision of education and relevant information