A recent survey conducted by Meta and the University of Maryland has shed light on the economic and health challenges faced by Nigerians following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The survey, conducted between March and May 2023, included 27,358 participants aged 18 and above in Nigeria.
The survey revealed that food insecurity is a big concern in the country, with more than half of the respondents (50.9%) reporting that they frequently do not have enough to eat owing to a lack of money.
In addition, 57.6% of respondents with health conditions reported they could not receive care in the previous months, emphasizing their inability to pay for quality healthcare.
Nearly half the participants reported that their current household income was lower than it was prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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“These findings provide a valuable snapshot of the challenges faced by Nigeria in terms of public health, economic security and trust in institutions,” the project organizers say.
It was discovered that vaccine confidence in Nigeria was lower than the general average across all 21 countries participating in the survey.
Only 22.4% of Nigerian adults believed vaccines were safe, efficient, and necessary for children and adults.
Several respondents, approximately 47.8%, stated that they were unwilling to take vaccines or allow their children to be vaccinated owing to concerns about possible side effects.
“Policymakers can use this information to address these issues, such as improving access to health care, increasing vaccine confidence through better information dissemination, supporting education, and tackling economic and food insecurity,” they added.
