AN AWARENESS OF THE CAUSES, TRANSMISSION AND CONSEQUENCES OF EBOLA: IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION IN NIGERIA
MAYOWA OLOGUN *
Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria.
EKUNDAYO OLOGUN
Diectorate for Degree Programmes, Kogi State College of Education, P.M.B 1033 Ankpa, Nigeria.
GIDEON ADENIYI
Department of Continuing Studies, Kogi State College of Education, P.M.B 1033, Ankpa, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This survey of the level of awareness of the causes, transmission and consequences of Ebola and its implications for education in Nigeria was carried out on 70 stratified and randomly selected respondents within Ankpa metropolis of Kogi state. A locally developed and standardized instrument: Level of Awareness of Ebola Virus Disease Questionnaire (LAEVDQ) with r = 0.51 was employed to collect relevant data from the respondents. Two hypotheses were postulated to ascertain the level of awareness of EVD across the variables of gender and literacy. Data collected was analysed through frequency counts, percentages and chi-square test at 0.05alpha level. Although, the result of the study showed no significant differences in levels of awareness across the variables of gender and literacy, descriptive statistical analysis indicated a generally low level of awareness of the respondents about EVD. On this basis, it was recommended that a multi-sectorial programmes of mass sensitization, training and retraining of health practitioners, provision of more infrastructures both basic to promote good hygiene in all educational institutions as well as the inclusion of EVD in the curricular offering at all levels of education in Nigeria.
Keywords: Ebola virus, disease, EVD, awareness, level, Nigeria