Public Health Education Awareness and Strategies Against New and Resurgent Infections in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Abstract

Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases remainasignificant public health challenge worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In Nigeria, recurrent outbreaks of cholera, Lassa fever, malaria, cerebrospinal meningitis, measles, yellow fever, mpox (formerly monkeypox), and COVID-19 continue to threaten population health and socioeconomic development. Although, several efforts in addressing these challengesappears not yielding positive results as the menace has continued to impact the population. The aim of this study is to explore the role of public health educators in the prevention and control of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in Ebonyi State, Nigeria.A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was employed among 400 respondents comprising residents, public health educators, and primary healthcare workers selected through a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a validated researcher-developed questionnaire, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, and multiple regression analysis at a 0.05 level of significance.The findings revealed a high level of awareness of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases (Grand Mean = 3.68 ± 0.74). A significant positive relationship was found between public health education activities and infectious disease prevention (r = 0.61, p< 0.05). Public health education significantly predicted disease prevention practices (β = 0.58, p< 0.001), The findings underscore the need for increased government investment in public health education, recruitment of qualified public health educators, strengthened community-based health promotion and disease surveillance systems, and the integration of public health educators into emergency preparedness and outbreak response programmes.