Covid-19: How to Eliminate Trust Deficit-News

The advent of the Covid-19 vaccine has given the world hope of ending a pandemic, but many countries continue to be consumed by the spread of the virus. Therefore, while waiting for the spread and distribution of the vaccine, preventive health measures such as social distance, wearing masks and washing hands remain important to contain the disease.

For some, following this guidance is not feasible. For example, many poor people have to deal with overcrowding, restricted access to clean water and soap, and lack of robust social safety nets.

However, beyond the critical constraints, there are other constraints related to information and trust. Some people are unaware of public health guidelines and others do not understand the specific steps to follow. Incorrect information about Covid-19 can undermine the recommended action. Also, in some situations, lack of trust in the healthcare system itself can reduce compliance with the guidelines.

Economists and other social scientists set out to test Covid-19’s policies and programs, while biomedical researchers and public health experts scrambled to learn about the new coronavirus in early 2020. I did. The set of evidence they have developed has important lessons for overcoming information constraints, combating false information, and building trust in the healthcare system. These insights may also help improve delivery and increase uptake of the Covid-19 vaccine.

One study sent a two-and-a-half-minute video about Covid-19 in a text message to 25 million people in West Bengal, India. The video instructed local health care workers to report symptoms and emphasized the importance of adopting preventive actions. Since then, recipients have reported less travel and more frequent hand washing, doubling reports of symptoms to healthcare professionals.

This striking result may seem surprising, given that policy makers have been sending Covid-19 preventive messages to those who received the video for weeks. One of the reasons why video messages have proven to be more effective is to provide specific and practical information about the symptoms to watch out for, and people should report them and take to prevent illness. You have specified the procedure.

Even if the information is concrete and practical, the results may vary. For example, an ongoing study in Uganda seeks to understand the relative impact of emphasizing individual and social interests on people’s compliance with Covid-19 public health guidelines.

And what about messenger? In an Indian study, the person providing the information in the video, the Nobel laureate economist Avisit Banerjee, is well known, and his message could have had a tremendous impact. But the study also showed a role that peers could play. Even those who did not receive the public health message reported increased compliance with the Covid-19 guidelines as they observed and emulated the altered behavior of their neighbors.

It raises the question of whether peers are more effective than third parties in influencing behavior. In Zambia, researchers ask individuals to SMS their family and friends about Covid-19 health information and compare their impact on preventive behavior with the impact of messages from central authorities.

Policy makers may also need to be more proactive in combating false information that can lead to confusion and distrust, rather than simply communicating preventive guidelines. In Zimbabwe, a local organization sent a WhatsApp message to newsletter subscribers to give true information about Covid-19 and uncover false information about fake treatments. These messages from credible sources increased knowledge of the disease and reduced reported harmful behavior, such as breach of blockage orders.

Similarly, Mexican economists are working with the Institute of Public Health to assess how messenger political tendencies and credibility affect the level of trust in the message and compliance with guidelines.

Trust issues are not limited to concerns about incorrect information. The 2014-16 Ebola crisis in West Africa shows that policies to increase confidence in the health system improve cooperation with health guidelines, resulting in increased testing and reduced disease epidemics and mortality. It was.

The factors that help overcome the lack of trust in the healthcare system vary widely from situation to situation. In the United States, where health inequalities between racial groups are wide, preventive care studies show that black men are more likely to trust black doctors and take various preventive health measures, including the flu vaccine. I did. .. These results were supported by another study in the United States. The study found that black adults who watched a video delivered by a doctor on Covid-19 prevention were more likely to look for additional information if the video doctor was also black.

Entering further unknown territory with the Covid-19 vaccine, this study on how to facilitate the adoption of preventative measures may help to understand how to increase vaccination uptake. Much of the focus so far has been rightly focused on vaccine supply chain and distribution challenges. However, studies have shown that it is essential to motivate people to get vaccinated, even without false information or distrust. Studies conducted on vaccination prior to the pandemic will inform our initial thinking about the Covid-19 vaccination program and help develop strategies that will help increase intake.

Incorporating economic research lessons about how and by whom information is transmitted into public policy is especially important in the context of information overload, misinformation, and distrust of the health system. To support the transition to the post-pandemic world, policy makers need to carefully consider how to use these findings to increase their intake of the Covid-19 vaccine.

— Project Syndicate

Pascaline Dupas is a professor of economics at Stanford University. Joseph Doyle is a professor of business administration and applied economics at the MIT Sloan School of Business. Karen Macours is a professor at the Paris School of Economics.