The Public’s Response to the Health Communication Strategies to Prevent the Expansion of Covid 19 in Ethiopia, Focusing on Some Selected Zones of SNNPR

Abstract

Health communication is crucial for the creation of public awareness about the danger of a pandemic and safety measures. The study is situated in innovation diffusion and neutralization theories because these theories explain how new ideas spread in a society and how individuals normalize moral discomforts and avoid guilty feelings caused by a behavior against the acceptable norm in a society, respectively. Document and text analysis as well as in-depth interview were employed to collect the data. Documents were analyzed and health communication officers were interviewed. Thematic and textual analysis were employed for analysis. The analysis revealed that integrated media and inclusive and participatory communication were the communication strategies employed to alert the public about COVID 19. The public’s awareness about Coronavirus increased as a result of the communication. The public’s perception and scarcity of logistics were primary challenges. Moreover, the public became negligent in the prevention measures that should be taken due to their lifestyle, culture, and social influence as well as low economic status. As a result, they made themselves vulnerable to the risk of COVID 19. Since the public put themselves in risky situations, ardent and persuasive messages should be designed. Subsequently, the communication should consider changing beyond cognitive skills to bring behavior change. Keywords: COVID19, Coronavirus, Gamo Zone, Health Communication, Negligence, Ethiopia