Research Article

COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND PUBLIC INFORMATION MANAGEMENT: A STUDY OF PUBLIC INFORMATION MANAGERS IN PLATEAU STATE

AONDOFA AKORGA1*, NGUEVESE EMMANUELLA ANSHI2
1 Department of Research and General Studies, NTA Television College, Jos
2 Department of Mass Communication, Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State
* Corresponding author: kenakorga@gmail.com
Published: Jan, 2022
DOI: 10.67862/hjjgs.2022.4w6ffsry
Pages: 167-178

Abstract

The study sought to evaluate the performance of public information managers in curbing the spread of COVID 19 Pandemic in Plateau State. Hence the major outcome variables studied were the role of Public Information Managers in curbing the spread of Covid-19 in Plateau state, the impact of Public Information Managers in curbing the spread of Covid-19 amongst communities in Plateau state and the challenges facing Public Information Managers in curbing the spread of Covid-19 in Plateau state. The study adopted the qualitative research design to carry out its findings. Sample survey method was used to collect data from 225 members of the Rapid Response Team spread across all the 17 LGAs in Plateau State through Purposeful sampling. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was conducted on the questionnaire items with orthogonal rotation (varimax) to determine the roles and challenges of public information managers. A one sample t- test was carried out to determine the impact of public information managers in curbing the spread of COVID 19 Pandemic in Plateau State. Findings showed that, the role of public information managers in curbing the spread of Covid 19 in Plateau state includes pieces of advice, information and enlightenment; that there is no significant impact made by public information managers in Plateau state in curbing the spread of Corona virus; and lack of finance, fear of contracting Covid 19 and lack of trust by the public amongst others are some of the challenges facing public information managers in curbing the spread of the disease. The study recommends that, Public Information Managers should be given an enabling environment i.e. allowed free access to those affected with the disease and provided with health information systems such as digital temperature meters and recorders. They should also be provided with sustainable finance and government support to enable them carry out their roles. 

Keywords

Public Health Public Information Management Covid-19 and Pandemic.

References

  1. Arshad, M. (2021). The Role of Information and Communication Technology to Combat COVID-19 Pandemic: Emerging Technologies, Recent Developments and Open Challenges, IJCSNS International Journal of Computer Science and Network Security, VOL.21 No.4, April 2021
  2. Arvisais-Anhalt S, Lehmann CU, Park JY, Araj E, Holcomb M, Jamieson AR, et al. What the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Reinforced: The Need for Accurate Data. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Nov 4:ciaa1686. Epub ahead of print.
  3. Baker S. Texas, Virginia, and Vermont are being criticized by public-health experts for mixing up their test data, producing far more impressive numbers. Retrieved April 18 2022 from: [https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-virgina-vermont-accused-of-misleading-coronavirus-](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-virgina-vermont-accused-of-misleading-coronavirus-)
  4. Baker S. (2020). Texas, Virginia, and Vermont are being criticized by public-health experts for mixing up their test data, producing far more impressive numbers. Retrieved April 18 2022 from: [https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-virgina-vermont-accused-of-misleading-coronavirus-data-2020-](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-virgina-vermont-accused-of-misleading-coronavirus-data-2020-)[cite: 15, 16]
  5. Basit, M.A., Lehmann, U.C., Richard J. Medford, R.J. (2021). Managing Pandemics with Health Informatics: Successes and Challenges, IMIA Yearb Med Inform [http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-1726478](https://www.google.com/search?q=http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-1726478)[cite: 16]
  6. Basit, M.A., Lehmann, C. U., & Medford, R.J (2021). Managing Pandemics with Health Informatics: Successes and Challenges, IMIA and Georg Thieme Verlag KG[cite: 16]
  7. BBC (2020) Coronavirus: what misinformation has spread in Africa? Retrieved April 18 2022 from: https:// [www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51710617](https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fworld-africa-51710617). 24/2020.7:00am.[cite: 16]
  8. Bedrosian SR, Young CE, Smith LA, Cox JD, Manning C, Pechta L, et al. (2016). Lessons of Risk Communication and Health Promotion. Retrieved on 15th April 2022 from: http://www. cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/su/su6503a10.htm ?s_cid=su6503a10_w[cite: 16]
  9. Blauer B, Nuzzo J. (2020). Covid-19 Data Is a Mess. We Need a Way to Make Sense of It. https://www. [nytimes.com/2020/11/23/opinion/coronavirus-testing.html](https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fnytimes.com%2F2020%2F11%2F23%2Fopinion%2Fcoronavirus-testing.html)[cite: 16]
  10. CDC (2020). Media releases [https://www.cdc](https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc). gov/media/releases/2020/s0528-coronavirus-death-toll)[cite: 16]
  11. COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic. (2020). Retrieved April 08, 2022 from: [https://www.worldometers](https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldometers). info/coronavirus/.[cite: 16]
  12. Epstein H. 2014. "Ebola in Liberia: An Epidemic of Rumors." New York Review of Books 61 (20): 91-95.37.[cite: 16]
  13. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2020). NIGERIA: COVID-19 Situation Report-#16[cite: 16]
  14. Glanz, K., Rimer, B. K., & Viswanath, K. (2015). Health behavior: theory, research, and practice (5th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass[cite: 16]
  15. Greenhill K, Oppenheim B. 2017. "Rumor Has It: The Adoption of Unverified Information in Conflict Zones." International Studies Quarterly 61 (3).[cite: 16]
  16. Health Metrics Network (2021). Guidance for the health information systems (HIS) strategic planning process. Retrieved April 08, 2022 from: https://www. measureevaluation.org/his-strengthening-resource[cite: 16, 17]
  17. Hill S, Lowe D, Liu C, et al. (2011) Building health literate societies. In: Hill S (ed) The Knowledgeable Patient: Communication and Participation in Health. Melbourne: Wiley Blackwell, pp. 184-195.[cite: 17]
  18. Kristof, N. (2020). America's True Covid Toll Already Exceeds 100,000 The reported numbers leave out thousands of deaths clearly resulting from the pandemic. The New York Times May 13.[cite: 17]
  19. Kritikos, M. (2020). "Ten technologies to fight coronavirus European Parliamentary Research Service. Retrieved April 08, 2022 from: https:// www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDA N/2020/641543/EPRS_IDA 641543_EN.pdf[cite: 17]
  20. Krosnick, J. A. et al. (2012). The National Science Foundation Advisory Committee for the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Subcommittee on Advancing SBE Survey Research: A Report to the National Science Foundation Based on Two Conferences.[cite: 17]
  21. Lep, Z, Babnik, K. & Beyazoglu, K.Η. (2020). Emotional Responses and Self-Protective Behavior Within Days of the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Promoting Role of Information Credibility. Front. Psychol. 11:1846. doi: 10.3389/ fpsyg.2020.01846[cite: 17]
  22. Lipscomb, M. (2017). Social theory and nursing. New York, NY: Routledge. [https://doi.org/10.4324/](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.4324/) 9781315644066[cite: 17]
  23. Liu, C. (2021). Health information systems amid COVID-19 outbreak: Lessons from China, Health Information Management Journal, Vol. 50(1-2) 99-100[cite: 17]
  24. Lune, H. & Berg, B.L. (2017). Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences, Ninth Edition, Global Edition, Pearson Education Limited Edinburgh Gate Harlow Essex CM20 2JE England.[cite: 17]
  25. Madhavan S, Bastarache L, Brown JS, Butte AJ, Dorr DA, Embi PJ, et al. (2021). Use of electronic health records to support a public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States: a perspective from 15 academic medical centers. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 28:393-401.doi: 10.1093/ jamia/ocaa287.[cite: 17]
  26. Madrigal AC, Meyer R. (2020). How Could the CDC Make That Mistake?' Retrieved on April 18, 2022 from: https:// [www.theatlantic.com/health/](https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theatlantic.com%2Fhealth%2F) archive/2020/05/cdc-and-states-are-mis reporting-covid-19-testdata-pennsylvania- georgia-texas/611935/
  27. Majeed, M., Irshad, M., Fatima, T., Khan, J. and Hassan, M.M. (2020). Relationship Between Problematic Social Media Usage and Employee Depression: A Moderated Mediation Model of Mindfulness and Fear of COVID-19. Front. Psychol. 11:557987. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020. 557987.
  28. Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (2020). Infodemic Management: Nigeria Experience during COVID-19 Response.
  29. Parveen, S., Islam, M. S., Begum, M., Alam, M., Sazzad, H. M. S. & et al. (2016). "It's Not Only What You Say, It's Also How You Say It: Communicating Nipah Virus Prevention Messages during an Outbreak in Bangladesh." BMC Public Health 16 (1): 726-37. [PMC free article: PMC4974711] [PubMed: 27495927]
  30. Perreault, M. F., & Perreault, G. P. (2021). Journalists on covid-19 journalism: Communication ecology of pandemic reporting. American Behavioral Scientist, 65(7) 976-991. [https://doi.org/10.117](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.117) 7/0002764221992813.
  31. Porta, M. (2014). A Dictionary of Epidemiology. 6th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  32. Post, L.A., Issa T.Z., Boctor, M.J., Moss, C.B., Murphy, R.L., Ison, M.G., & et al. (2020). Dynamic Metrics for Public Health Surveillance Are Imperative to Gain Control of the COVID-19 Pandemic in America: Longitudinal Trend Analysis. J Med Internet Res
  33. Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management, New Zealand. (2013). Public Information Management Director's Guideline for Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups [DGL14/13] (2013) ISBN 0-478-35572-7
  34. Rahn, M., Tomczyk, S., Schopp, N. & Schmidt, S. (2021). Warning Messages in Crisis Communication: Risk Appraisal and Warning Compliance in Severe Weather, Violent Acts, and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Front. Psychol. 12:557178. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.557178
  35. Republic of Malawi (2020). National Covid-19 Preparedness and Response Plan
  36. Roca, A., Afolabi, M. O, Saidu, Y., Kampmann, B. (2015). "Ebola: A Holistic Approach Is Required to Achieve Effective Management and Control." Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 135 (4): 856-67. [PMC free article: PMC4382328] [PubMed: 25843598]
  37. Schmidt, A.E., Abboud, L.A. &Bogaert, P. (2021). Making the case for strong health information systems during a pandemic and beyond, Schmidt et al. Archives of Public Health, 79:13 https://doi. org/10.1186/s13690-021-00531-5.
  38. Sharma, G. (2017). Pros and cons of different sampling techniques, International Journal of Applied Research; 3(7): 749-752
  39. Subedi, B. P. (2016). Using Likert Type Data in Social Science Research: Confusion, Issues and Challenges, International Journal of Contemporary Applied Sciences, Vol. 3, No. 2,
  40. World Health Organization (2020). Monitoring the building blocks of health systems: a handbook of indicators and their measurement strategies. Geneva; 2010. p. 1-93.
  41. World Health Organization (2020). Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen. WHO/EURO:2020-69040425-54211. 2020. 1-16 13. Azzopardi-Muscat N, Kluge HHP, Asma S. Novillo-Ortiz D. A call to strengthen data in response to COVID-19 and beyond. J Am Med Inform Assoc. [https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocaa308](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocaa308).
  42. World Health Organization (2020). Regional Office for Europe. Strengthening and adjusting public health measures throughout the COVID-19 transition phases: Policy considerations for the WHO European Region, Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe;
  43. World Health Organization (2010). The Global Outbreak Alert and Response. Retrieved April 25, 2022 from: //www.who.int/health_topics/epidemiologic_surveillance/en/
  44. World Health Organization (2010). The WHO Family of International Classiucations. Retrieved April 25, 2022 from: [http://www.who.int/health_topics/classiQcation/en/](https://www.google.com/search?q=http://www.who.int/health_topics/classiQcation/en/)
How to Cite

AKORGA, A., & ANSHI, N. E. (2022). COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND PUBLIC INFORMATION MANAGEMENT: A STUDY OF PUBLIC INFORMATION MANAGERS IN PLATEAU STATE. Humanity - Jos Journal Of General Studies, 13(1), 167-178. https://doi.org/10.67862/hjjgs.2022.4w6ffsry

A. AKORGA, and N. E. ANSHI, "COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND PUBLIC INFORMATION MANAGEMENT: A STUDY OF PUBLIC INFORMATION MANAGERS IN PLATEAU STATE," Humanity - Jos Journal Of General Studies, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 167-178, January 2022. doi: 10.67862/hjjgs.2022.4w6ffsry

Share this article:
Facebook X / Twitter LinkedIn
Download PDF View Full Text (PDF) Back to Articles