VOTE OF CONFIDENCE: 80% of Ugandans confident about gov’t efforts to stop Covid-19 spread

80per cent of Ugandans who took part in a Geopoll Survey say the government has done enough to stop Covid-19 spread.

The survey, titled: Coronavirus in Sub-Saharan Africa; how Africans in 12 nations are responding to the Covid-19 outbreak, was done by Geopoll, one of the largest global research firms.

The survey was done between 2nd – April 9th, 2020, in 12 countries, including Uganda. Others are Benin, Côte D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia.

The study was done amongst people of 16 years and above, out of whom 46 per cent were female and 56per cent male. 

A total sample of 4,788 was collected across the 12 countries in Africa with each country having a sample of 400 except DRC, which had a sample size of 388. This gives a 5per cent margin of error and a 95per cent confidence interval. The survey was administered in English, French, Portuguese, Swahili, and Kinyarwanda dependent on country.

The study sought to pick public concerns and perceptions of risk surrounding coronavirus; preventative measures such as social distancing and handwashing practices and changes in food market operability and food security. It also sought to understand changes in consumer habits, including purchasing of food and nonessential items, levels of trust in governments and the commercial sector as well as information sources on COVID-19 and changes in media consumption.

According to the study, in Uganda, respondents scored Uganda’s government’s efforts to stop the spread of the disease at 4.0 out of a maximum score of 5.0- the second-highest score in the twelve countries. The majority of Uganda interviewed said they agree or strongly agreed with the stamen that: “My government has done enough to stop the spread of coronavirus.”

The highest score (4.5) was in Rwanda, while the lowest was Kenya at 2.9 followed by Nigeria and Zambia at 3.0.

At the time the study was done, the governments of Rwanda Uganda and South Africa were under nationwide lockdown measures, while Benin, Ghana, Kenya, DRC, Cote D’Ivoire, and Nigeria are were experiencing partial lockdowns in key areas. Tanzania, Zambia, and Mozambique were yet to implement any lockdown measures.

During the 7-day survey period, Uganda’s confirmed cases rose from 44 to 53- all of whom were hospitalized and in stable condition. During that period Uganda also ramped up the number of tests from 1,812 tests to 3,862 samples.  

Since the study was concluded, the government of Uganda has registered far more impressive successes in tracking and testing of suspected cases as well as the isolation, hospitalization, and recoveries of patients.

Uganda has traced and tested 61per cent of the potential high-risk travellers who entered the country from March 07th, 2020- 10,989 out of 18,128 and these as well as their contacts, form the bulk of those who have either been tested and or quarantined.

Out of a cumulative 27,432 test cases, 79 tested positive for Covid-19. Of the 79 cases, 52 have recovered, 13 are still active and 14 have been repatriated to their home countries- 6 to Kenya and 8 to Tanzania.

Uganda has not registered any Covid-19 related death yet.  

However, the study found that most Ugandans were concerned about having enough food to eat with 86per cent reporting that within the 7 days before the survey they had been worried about not having enough food to eat due to lack of money or other resources. This figure was also high in the DRC (88per cent), Rwanda (87per cent) and Kenya (86per cent). 

72 per cent of the study population also indicated that they were ‘very concerned’ over COVID-19. A slightly lower percentage overall- 63per cent, believed that they or their families are at risk of contracting the disease, with this percentage being lowest in Rwanda and Benin, and highest in Mozambique and Zambia.

The study also found out that populations were aware of the looming economic crisis, with 71 per cent stating that they are very concerned about the economic effects of coronavirus. Concerns over the economic impacts are highest in Mozambique and Rwanda.