Laura Rossouw – PhD, Economics – South Africa Program Grantee 2016

Laura Rossouw is currently a Senior Lecturer and Health Economist at the School of Economics and Finances, Wits University, University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. She has written an article for “The Conversation,” along with Carmen S. Christian (PhD), a fellow lecturer and researcher, at the Department of Economics, University of Western Cape. “The Conversation” is a network of not-for-profit media outlets that publish news stories written by academics and researchers.

Their article describes how the lack of credible information and of an understanding of the seriousness of COVID-19 in South Africa has resulted in a slow behavior change. It seems that where people get their information, government sites or media sites, plays into how they approach this pandemic and the gravity they give it.

Some excerpts from the article:

“In countries like South Africa that face severe resource shortages, the burden of fighting COVID-19 falls heavily on citizens to change their behaviour and follow preventative measures. These include avoiding mass gatherings, physical distancing and wearing masks.”
“Inadequate sources of information carry a number of risks. One of the biggest is that people who don’t have credible information will be more exposed to the virus because they are less likely to abide by these behaviour changes. The second risk is that people don’t fully perceive the danger of COVID-19 or its negative outcomes.”
“… And high-impact preventative measures such as mask wearing and physical distancing should be prioritised relative to lower-impact interventions (like surface cleaning and hand washing) when communicating about preventative measures.”
“Changing social norms in a short amount of time is difficult, and a one-size fits all policy is unlikely to have the desired effect. These changes require messaging that is context specific and which resonates strongly with its targeted audience.”

Please click here for the full article.