Enhancing Public Awareness of Lassa Fever Virus Through Publicity in Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study centered on enhancing public awareness of Lassa Fever Virus through publicity in Cross River State. It was aimed at determining the influences of press releases, factsheet and social media on public awareness of Lassa Fever Virus. As a cross-sectional study, primary data were obtained from 208 residents of Calabar Metropolis through a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were adopted for data analysis and interpretation, while hypothesis testing was done using simple linear regression. Consequently, the findings of the study revealed that press releases, factsheet and social media were publicity tools that significantly enhanced public awareness of Lassa Fever Virus in Cross River State. Therefore, we have recommended that: The Nigerian government (at Federal, State and Local levels), and public health organizations should intensify the use of press releases, factsheets and social media as effective publicity tools for providing factual and credible information about public health challenges to improve public awareness and mobilize members of the public in an effort to combat them in a way that sustainably preserves the public’s health. Practical implications and a future research agenda were also presented.