The Monkeypox Disease (MPXD) gained attention due to its widened geographical distribution outside of Africa, Hence, a it was declared a global health emergency. The index case in Europe was from a Nigerian traveller. This study assessed public awareness and knowledge of the MPXD by conducting an online, cross-sectional survey of educated Nigerians. A total of 822 respondents were recruited using the snowball sampling method between the 16th to 29th of August 2022. More responses were retrieved from the Northeastern geopolitical region (30.1%, n=220) than other regions. Descriptive statistics revealed that 89% (n=731/822) of the study participants were aware of the MPXD but only 58.7% (n=429/731) of them had good knowledge of the disease with a mean knowledge score of 5.31±2.09. The main knowledge gaps were in the incubation period of the disease, the signs and symptoms, its mode of transmission, and preventive practices needed to curb the spread of the monkeypox virus (MPXV). Specifically, only 24.5% (n=179) of them knew that MPXV can be transmitted via sexual contact. Most of the study participants (79.2%, n=651) opined that we can prevent the occurrence of public health emergencies in the future. The multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that of the socio-demographic variables, the male gender (OR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.22,2.33); Ph.D. level education (1.44; 95% CI: 1.048,4.23); and being homosexual (OR:1.65; 95% CI: 1.07,3.78) were significantly associated with good knowledge of MPXD. Despite the varying prevalence across the country, the region of residence within Nigeria did not influence the knowledge of MPXD among the respondents. The knowledge gaps necessitate intensified public health risk communication with a focus on modes of transmission and the preventive measures needed to curb the spread of the MPXV.
Understanding key socio-demographic variables of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine recipients is crucial to improving its acceptance and Nigeria's COVID-19 control strategy. The survey was conducted as a non-probability cross-sectional survey of 2,936 COVID-19 vaccine recipients in Kwara State. Our findings revealed that 74% (n = 2,161) of the vaccine recipients were older than 40 years. Forty percent (n = 1,180) of the vaccine recipients earned a monthly income >100,000 Naira (equivalent to US $200). Most of the vaccine recipients (64%, n = 1,880) had tertiary education, while 15% (n = 440) of them had no formal education. Almost half of the recipients (47%, n = 1,262) were government employees and 28.8% (n = 846) of them had health-related backgrounds. Only 17% (n = 499) of the vaccine recipients have been screened for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), of which 21% (n = 105/499) of them were tested positive. Only 47% (n = 1,378) had been fully immunized. The prevalence of confirmed COVID-19 cases among COVID-19 vaccine recipients in Kwara State was 3.6% (n = 105/2,936). The most recurrent adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) among vaccine recipients were fever (14%, n = 411), pain at injection site (47%, n = 1,409), headache (19%, n = 558), and body weakness (9%, n = 264). The need to protect themselves from the deadly virus was the main reason that prompted people to voluntarily accept the COVID-19 vaccine. There is a high level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among respondents across all social classes including those with no formal education, those with very low monthly income (< US $2 per day), and in untested population. Hence, vaccine donors should prioritize equitable distribution to Low-and-Middle-income Countries (LMICs) such as Nigeria, and health authorities should improve vaccine advocacy to focus on vaccine safety and efficacy.
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