As the global health community springs into action to support the DRC’s government-led response, GeoPoll conducted a nationwide survey in the DRC to assess public awareness and concern about the mpox outbreak. The remote mobile phone-based survey addressed a number of topics related to the outbreak, including:

• Awareness of the mpox outbreak in the DRC
• Understanding of mpox transmission and symptoms
• Household and community mpox experience and risk
• Awareness of the mpox vaccine
• Intent to vaccinate for mpox and reasons for hesitancy
• Sources of mpox and public health information
• Assessment of the government’s reaction to the outbreak

Findings from the survey show that almost all respondents are aware of the current mpox outbreak in the DRC (92%), primarily hearing about it through social media. Most are also familiar with the symptoms and recommended prevention measures for the disease.

Vaccination presents a different story, however, with only 39% of respondents aware that an mpox vaccine is available, and only 35% likely to get the vaccine if it is. The primary drivers of hesitancy include uncertainty about the vaccine’s effectiveness, lack of knowledge/awareness, and potential health risks. Distrust of health facilities also presents an obstacle.

Click below to download GeoPoll’s full written report on the mpox outbreak in the DRC or scroll down to view the survey data in the interactive dashboard.

Interactive Data Dashboard

Dive deeper into GeoPoll’s data on the mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo using the interactive dashboard below. The dashboard provides responses to each question in the survey, filterable by gender, age group, and province.

Collect Data During Humanitarian Crisis with GeoPoll

GeoPoll is a full-service market and social research agency that conducts surveys via computer- assisted telephone interviewing (CATI), computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI), short message service (SMS), WhatsApp, and mobile web/mobile application communications. We also conduct online and offline qualitative research.

GeoPoll regularly conducts international development and humanitarian aid research for United Nations agencies, NGOs, governments, humanitarian groups and other stakeholders in the development and relief sectors.

In times of crisis, GeoPoll’s mobile surveys can reach aid beneficiaries and vulnerable populations to collect vital data on food security, disaster relief, and more. Our remote research capabilities and innovative technology platform allow GeoPoll to survey communities that are inaccessible following natural disasters, conflict, or disease outbreaks, enabling organizations to gather on-the-ground insights in real-time and disseminate information quickly and safely.

For more information about GeoPoll and this report, contact us today.

The post GeoPoll Reports: Mpox Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo appeared first on GeoPoll.

On October 26 2016, we administered a survey via SMS to ask residents of certain provinces in DRC what their experiences are working in the mines. Our primary goal was to hear from people directly to quantify issues, to ask them their opinions on what should be done about problems, and to demonstrate that using SMS is a viable form of capturing worker experiences in global supply chains. The effort to poll Congo’s miners,  was motivated in part by The Post’s investigation this year of Congo’s cobalt trade, which found dangerous, at times deadly, work conditions and the presence of child workers.

The DRC is the second largest country by geographical area in Africa with a population of more than 80 million. It is also extremely rich in natural resources. Many of the minerals that are used to make our smart phones, laptops and car batteries are mined in the DRC. However, the U.S. Department of Labor has also found that many of these minerals used in the manufacture of electronics, including others such as diamonds and gold could be mined using child and forced labor.

Perhaps ironically they received and responded to the survey using their mobile phones, the components of which were probably mined under the same questionable circumstances. However, with high rates of mobile penetration in the DRC and other countries that produce goods and materials consumed in the West, feature phones are allowing for quicker data collection—and most importantly facilitating swift intervention and response.

Read the full report

The post In Their Own Words; A Survey of Miners on Health, Safety & Child Labor  in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) appeared first on GeoPoll.