Challenges Encountered By Residents Of Enugu North Lga In Using Facebook For Public Health Messaging During Covid-19

Abstract

The study investigated the challenges encountered by residents of Enugu North LGA in using Facebook for public health messaging during Covid-19 Pandemic.  The survey research design was used.  The sample size of 273 was drawn from the population of 347,500. Multi-stage cluster sampling procedure was the technique used to carry out the study. The findings in the study shows that 77.9% of the respondents have been exposed to campaigns against Covid-19. Also, 91.5% are aware that Covid-19 can be transmitted from person to person. Also, 72.3% of the respondents believe that using Facebook for public health messaging is beneficial. However, Facebook was not the major source of information on Covid-19 for 54.6% of the respondents. This implies that respondents merely use information gotten here to augment the one from their major source of information on Covid-19. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made;  Enhance digital literacy programmes for the residents of Enugu-North: the outcome of this study shows that misinformation and unfiltered information from non-governmental or public health sources was a major threat to the adoption of Facebook for information on the Covid-19, the research recommends enlightenment of the target population on how to discern credible information from misinformation on Facebook. Hence, the local government authority LGA, should partner with local health organizations and educational institutions to conduct workshops and seminars on digital literacy and critical thinking. This will go to a great extent in increasing knowledge of residents to make informed decisions regarding COVID-19 and other health issues based on reliable information. Enhance Health Communication Strategies on Facebook: Create targeted health communication campaigns specifically tailored for residents of Enugu-North, focusing on local languages and cultural context to improve understanding and engagement. Use interactive and engaging content formats like live Questions and Answer (Q&A) sessions, info graphics, and short videos to convey critical information about COVID-19 prevention, symptoms, and treatment options on Facebook.