Researchers

Aidan Eyakuze, Baruani Mshale

Abstract

Twaweza collected data on citizens’ knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) related to Covid-19 through a series of mobile phone surveys of a representative sample of the country’s adult population. The evidence generated will a) provide baseline information on the status of citizens’ knowledge attitudes and practices (behaviors) across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar, b) improve the understanding of citizens’ knowledge gaps on Covid-19, so as to improve public information campaigns, c) provide data useful in the post Covid-19 to assess the effectiveness of the public health response, and enhance global knowledge on the role of citizen data in combating infectious diseases. This research adopted a cross-sectional study design with a sample of 3,000 respondents. Data will be collected from four (4) call rounds proposed for April, May, July and November 2020, and this page is updated as results are made available.

Project Outcomes of Interest

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to COVID-19

Partners

Twaweza

Key Findings

A brief of the survey (October 2020) is available here and full results here. Key findings include:

• One out of three of households that depend on casual work (34%) have seen the main breadwinner lose their source of income, compared to one out of four Kenyan households overall (26%). More than half of these households have not found new sources of income.

• 8 out of 10 households (80%) that rely on casual work reporting to hold food stocks of a week or less at home, compared to 6 out of 10 of the population overall (64%).

• Fewer Kenyans now say their income is sufficient to meet their household needs: 1 out of 4 citizens (28%) report having enough income compared to 1 out of 3 in 2018 and 2017.

• 4 out of 10 citizens (39%) say they would spend a hypothetical KES 10,000 gift from government on food. Overall, half of households (52%) report that their current food situation is worse or much worse than in the previous month.

A brief of the survey is available (August 2020) here. Key findings include: 

Knowledge:

• Almost all citizens are aware of aware of COVID-19, most are very aware of it
• Most citizens are aware of the main modes of transmission and identify public places and gatherings as the most likely places of exposure to the virus
• Some misconceptions about COVID-19 are widely held
• Citizens see older people, children and those with pre-existing conditions as being most at risk
• 6 out of 10 citizens are very worried about the Coronavirus outbreak in Kenya
• Most citizens do not feel at risk of being exposed to the Coronavirus

Response:

• Most citizens are aware of some measures the government has taken in response to the outbreak
• Citizens point to handwashing, masks and staying at home as actions they are taking to prevent infection
• 2 out of 3 citizens have confidence in the government’s ability to handle the Coronavirus outbreak
• 4 out of 10 citizens say the money they have currently available to them would only last one day if no movement is allowed

Economics and Financial Wellbeing:

• More than half of citizens agree with the view that many people have resumed business as usual despite the outbreak
• Citizens are more concerned about the economic implications of the Coronavirus than the health effects
• The biggest impacts of the Coronavirus outbreak on Kenyan households have been on income and jobs
• Half of households have seen food price increases in the previous two weeks
• 7 out of 10 households report that their food intake has become worse in the previous month

Link to Results

Future topical analyses will be published at www.twawewza.org

Impact Goals

Project Data Collection Mode

Implementing Organization

Twaweza

Results Status

Results