EXPOSURE AND ATTITUDE OF AWKA SOUTH RESIDENTS TOWARDS ONE HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE’S (OHDI) FACEBOOK CAMPAIGN ON THE PREVENTION OF LASSA FEVER
Abstract
First recorded in Nigeria in 1969, Lassa fever is not new but continues to manifest in epidemic proportions and as endemic or sporadic outbreaks. Unfortunately, Lassa fever control was until quite recently, neglected in Nigeria. This failure allowed the outbreaks to gain in frequency and severity with many deaths, including that of health-care workers. To help in the fight against the disease, One Health and Development Initiative (OHDI) embarked on a Facebook campaign on the prevention of the disease. Since the platform has many users around the world who use them for different things, this study sought to find out whether users of the platform in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, have been exposed to the campaign and their attitude towards the campaign. To achieve this, the researcher sought to ascertain their level of exposure to the campaign, their attitude towards the campaign and the extent to which they put the measures of the campaign into practice. This was done using the descriptive survey research design. With the 2024 projected population of Awka South residents which is 298, 895 and the Taro Yamane formula, the researcher determined the samples (399) of this study before randomly selecting them for the study from three communities (Amawbia, Awka and Okpuno) in Awka South. The researcher administered 399 structured and pre-tested copies of questionnaire to the selected 399 respondents and retrieved only 393 copies that were used for this study. In analyzing the data that was collected from the survey exercise, the researcher used frequency tables and simple percentages. From the study, the researcher found, among others, that Awka South residents are highly exposed to the selected OHDI’s Facebook campaign. Based on the findings that were made from this study, the researcher recommended, among others, that Awka South residents should always expose themselves to OHDI’s Facebook campaign on the prevention of Lassa fever so as to always remember what they should do to avoid contacting and spreading the disease.
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