Majority of Gambians believe in the power of prayer as prevention against Coronavirus than taking Covid-19 vaccine, said Afrobarometer round 8 survey.
“About seven in 10 citizens (69%) believe that prayer is more effective than a vaccine would be in preventing COVID-19 infection, including 52% who think prayer is “much more effective”
“While vaccination roll-out in the Gambia began in February, only two in 10 citizens say they are likely to try to be vaccinated, while most believe that prayer is more effective than a vaccine in preventing COVID-19 infection,” round 8 survey results indicated.
It also revealed that fewer than one in four citizens (23%) Gambians say they trust the government “somewhat” or “a lot” to make sure that COVID-19 vaccines are safe. A similar minority (21%) say they are “somewhat” or “very” likely to try to get vaccinated
The survey also showed that majority of Gambians approve of the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, but only a few Gambians trust the government to ensure that the Covid-19 vaccines are safe.
Afrobarometer is a pan-African, nonpartisan survey research network that provides reliable data on Africans’ experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life. It has already completed seven rounds of surveys in up to 38 countries between 1999 and 2018. Currently, the firms round 8 surveys 2019/2021 are underway. Afrobarometer conducts face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice with nationally representative samples.