Social Marketing and Public Health: A Day after Covid-19 Pandemic in Nigeria

International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VII, Issue X, October 2020 | ISSN 2321–2705

 Social Marketing and Public Health: A Day after Covid-19 Pandemic in Nigeria 

 Dr. Veronica N. Ndubuisi, Dr. Mustapha Momoh

University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria

Abstract: Covid-19 previously known as 2019-nCoV was first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and soon after more than 100,000 cases were reported in more than 100 countries. Nigeria had its first index case in February 28, 2020 and increasing number of cases everyday and a current case fatality ratio of 0.03 as at 13 April, 2020. Slow rate of spread was achieved under severe constraint until recently. There is urgent need to fix the missing gaps and explore available collective measures and interventions to address the Covid-19 Pandemic

I. INTRODUCTION

According to World Health Organization (WHO,2020) coronaviruses are a group of viruses belonging to the family of coronaviridae, which infect both animals and humans. Human coronaviruses can cause mild disease similar to a common cold, while others cause more severe disease. A new coronavirus that previously has not been identified to humans emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Signs and symptoms include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough and shortness of breath. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe respiratory syndrome and sometimes death. WHO works closely with global experts, governments and partners to rapidly expand scientific knowledge on this new virus and to provide timely device on measures to protect people’s health and prevent the spread of this outbreak.
Covid-19 pandemic is not only a medical experience but a social and emotional experience that affect the lives of the people. Social marketing is used to ameliorate the stigmatization of the patients and to give direction on prevention and control of the pandemic (Adepoju, 2020).

II. LITERATURE REVIEW

Features of Social Marketing

Social marketing is a program-planning process that applies commercial concepts and techniques to promote voluntary behavior change (Andreasen, 1995; Kotler, Roberto & Lee, 2002). It facilitates the acceptance, rejection, modification, abandonment or maintenance of particular behavior (Kotler, Roberto & Lee, 2002) by groups of individuals, often referred to as target audience. The target audience of social marketing is the consumers and the policy makers who influence policy making in addressing the broader social and environmental determinants of health (Donovan & Henley, 2003; Siegel & Doner, 1998). Social marketing includes the analysis of the social consequences of public health policies and activities in monitoring and evaluating frequency of infection (Hastings & Siren, 2003) which includes Covid-19 Pandemic..
Social Marketing and Public Health

Read More