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Newspaper Coverage of Ebola Virus Disease Epidemic in Nigeria: Implications for Prevention and Control

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Newspaper Coverage of Ebola Virus Disease Epidemic in Nigeria: Implications for Prevention and Control THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION AND HEALTH 2013 / No. 1 Newspaper Coverage of Ebola Virus Disease Epidemic in Nigeria: Implications for Prevention and Control Aderonke Asaolu Centre for Learning Resources, Covenant University, Nigeria Email:[email protected] Goodluck Ifijeh Centre for Learning Resources, Covenant University, Nigeria Email: [email protected] Juliana Iwu-James Centre for Learning Resources, Covenant University, Nigeria Email: [email protected] Osayande Odaro Department of Library and Information Studies, University of Kwazulu Natal, South Africa Email: [email protected] Abstract Ebola virus disease (otherwise referred to as EVD) broke out in Nigeria in July, 2014. The epidemic which raged on for nearly three months, came to an end with the World Health Organization declaring Nigeria Ebola free in October, 2014. This study analyzed newspaper coverage of the epidemic during the period. It examined the nature and extent of coverage of EVD in three widely circulated newspapers in Nigeria. Between July, 2014 and October, 2014, 1118 articles about EVD in The Guardian, The Punch, and Vanguard newspapers were indentified and analyzed. The study revealed that the most common EVD theme covered by newspaper articles within the period was Government/ Institutional measures and response (271 articles), followed by cases of EVD in Nigeria (270 articles). Most importantly, the study observed that newspaper coverage of the EVD epidemic had implications for prevention and control, as portrayed by the commendations of individuals, corporate bodies and the Government. Key Words: Ebola Virus Disease, Nigeria, Newspaper Coverage, Prevention, Control, World Health Organization Introduction The outbreak in West Africa is said to have Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as started in Guinea sometimes in early 2014. The disease Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness spread from Guinea to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. in humans. It is one of the world's most virulent diseases There were reports of a case each of the disease in Mali and up to 90% of sufferers die from the virus.The and Senegal. average EVD case fatality rate is around 50%. Case The transmission of the disease into Nigeria fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in past was dramatic. According to Faisal (2014), an acutely ill outbreaks. More than 3,400 people in West Africa died in traveler (Mr. Patrick Sawyer) from Liberia arrived at the the year 2014 Ebola outbreak (WHO 2014, Butterly Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, 2014, Rush and Gander, 2014). The disease was said to Nigeria, and was confirmed to have Ebola virus disease have been transmitted to humans through contact with (Ebola) after being admitted to a private hospital on the blood, organs and other bodily fluids of infected Sunday July 20, 2014. Obviously, the test for EVD was animals like fruit bats, primates, antelopes and carried out when Mr. Sawyer who was placed on porcupines. Suffice to say that infected humans, medication failed to respond to treatment and began to thereafter transmitted it to others and the cycle develop ‘’hemorrhagic symptoms’’. Further questions apparently continues. Symptoms of the disease include were posed to him. But he denied ever having contact fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and a with any persons with EVD at home or in any other sore throat. These then develop into vomiting, diarrhoea, hospital or at any burial ceremony (Information Nigeria, rashes, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some 2014). It was alleged that ‘Mr. Patrick Sawyer ‘knew he cases, a combination of internal and external bleeding. was sick’ with the virus before his entry into Nigeria. He flew to Nigeria and died, transmitting the virus to THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION AND HEALTH 2016 / No. 10 Nigerian medical personnel who offered medical 1976; it was not seen again until 1994 (Peters and services to him’ (Information Nigeria, 2014). Thereafter, Peters, 1999). Between 1994 and 1996, no less than five the disease was transmitted by medical personnel to independent active sites of Ebola virus transmission relatives and friends. The Nigerian Government in were indentified in Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of collaboration with internal and external health Congo and Gabon. In March, 2014, a fresh outbreak of institutions, non Governmental agencies and the media the disease was reported in Guinea (WHO, 2014). successfully curtailed the scourge, such that in October, Between March and September, 2014, it had spread to 2014, the World Health Organization declared Nigeria four other countries – Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Ebola free. Senegal. One of the key functions of the media in any According to the Centre for Disease Control society is health communication. The media are veritable and Prevention (2014), EVD is one of the most deadly sources of health information and can help to shape the diseases in the world in terms of morbidity and mortality. way people act and react towards health issues. More Between March and September, 2014, the epidemic had importantly, the media help to create awareness and 4507 confirmed and probable cases in Guinea, Liberia, mobilize members of the public to cooperate with health Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal (World Health authorities in the fight against an epidemic at any given Organization, 2014).Out of this number, an alarming time (Onyeizu and Binta, 2014). 2296 deaths were reported. According to the World This work therefore seeks to examine Health Organization, majority of these deaths reportedly newspaper coverage of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) took place in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Within epidemic in Nigeria. It also seeks to analyze the various this period, Nigeria had 18 confirmed cases and EVD themes coverage with a view to establishing the recorded 7 deaths, including the index case that brought role of the media in awareness, prevention and control of the disease from Liberia. the scourge. Nigeria’s handling of the epidemic, both in terms of prevention and control of the disease has been Objectives of the study commended by the international community including 1. To examine the number of newspaper articles the World Health Organization (Sifferlin, 2014). The published on EVD during the epidemic in Nigeria. disease which entered the country in July, 2014 was 2. To examine and analyze the content of totally eradicated in October, 2014, with the World newspaper articles on EVD published during the Health Organization declaring Nigeria Ebola free. In a scourge. country of over 160 million people, the disease infected 3. To examine the likelihood of newspaper only 18 people, with its spread limited to only two cities. coverage having any effect on prevention and eventual Sifferlin (2014) posited that the country obviously did control of EVD epidemic in Nigeria. some things right. The role of the Government, international and non governmental agencies and the Theoretical Framework media in achieving this feat cannot be ignored. Inuwa This study is anchored on the Agenda-Setting (2007) defined ‘media’ as a collective means of Theory. According to Baran and Davis (2009), the theory communication by which the general public or populace opines that there is a significant relationship between is kept informed about the day to day happenings in the media reports and peoples’ ranking of public issues. society. The media, also referred to as ‘the press’ is The theory establishes a correlation between the rate at broadly classified into two – electronic or broadcast which the media cover a story and the value people media and print media (Newspapers). Lovejoy (2007) place on such a story. Peoples’ reactions toward a story observed that the media is ‘explicitly involved in society’s are influenced by the extent to which the story is shared understanding and knowledge of health issues’. important to them. In summary, the prominence given by Uwom and Oloyede (2014) noted that the media have the media (whether newspaper, electronic or broadcast) the ability to effectively communicate health information to an issue can influence the extent of importance and effective health information can affect individuals’ people place on such an issue, which can in turn awareness, attitudes and behavior change. Diedong determine their reaction to such issue. The prominence (2013) observed that the print media (newspapers) play the media gives to an health issue can influence a central role in promoting the knowledge of people on peoples’ opinions and reactions towards the issue. issues of health as well as shaping our understanding of medicine and science in general. Empirical studies have Literature Review shown that ‘print media’s dissemination of health Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) now referred to information is important in shaping public beliefs and as Ebola virus disease (EVD) first appeared in Africa in possibly behaviors’ (Moyer, 1995). The role of 54 THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION AND HEALTH 2016 / No. 10 newspapers in health education lie in their capacity and the outbreak and subsequent control of the Ebola virus capability to teach, manipulate, sensitize and mobilize disease in Nigeria. A total of 123 issues of each people through information dissemination (Nwabueze, newspaper were used, amounting to 369 issues of the 2005). three newspapers under consideration.
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