Covid-19 Information Needs and Perception of Internal Displaced Person (IDPs): A survey of IDPs in Boron State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study aims at establishing COVID-19 information needs and perceptive of internal displacement persons  (IDPs) on camps. The quantitative and evaluative research design was adopted for this study. The census  sampling technique was used in selecting most affected local governments in Borno camps. Simple random  technique was used in selecting most affected five local governments out of 17 local government utmost affected  by insurgency in Borno State, Nigeria. Three objectives were set for the study and the interview was used for  gathering data from respondents. As of the time of collecting data for this study, five local governments that  were seriously affected among seventeen local governments conquered by insurgency are: Bama,Chibok.  Damboa, Dikwa, and Ngala.Finding shown that (74%) were female while (26%) were male. Findings also  reveals thatmajority of respondents agreed that COVID-19 is real and it is from animals. The result indicated  thatinfectious droplets and hands shake were agreed upon has COVID-19 origin and existence. The majority of  the respondents agreed that maintaining social distance while meeting/talking, usage of mask in gatherings,  exposing yourself to the sun/extreme temperature, avoiding of hands shake, washing hands after coming home,  usage of hands sanitizer, avoiding touching mouth while coughing/ sneezing and covering mouth while  coughing/sneezing were COVID-19 preventive measure observed at the camps. The paper recommends that  State and Federal Government should enhance health education programs that aims to improve COVID-19  knowledge and perception of the community and maintaining social distancing should be more enforce, usage of  face marks, hands sanitizer and proper hygiene should be more enforce so as. to curb spread of virus among  others.