Media Contacts:
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Michelle Thompson: mthomp7@gmu.edu
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Study Contact:
Nagesh N. Borse: nagesh.borse@USP.org
Researchers seeking global partners to support participation in the survey, which will help inform global plans for rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and related resources
ROCKVILLE, MD – Oct. 28, 2020 – US Pharmacopeia (USP) launched a new survey today to better understand the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices (KABP) of healthcare workers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) around COVID-19 vaccines, personal safety measures, and treatments, with support from the George Mason University College of Health and Human Services. Government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private sector stakeholders working with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, community health workers and other frontline healthcare workers in LMICs are encouraged to contact USP Principal Investigator Dr. Nagesh N. Borse to support participation in the survey. Click here to download a toolkit to help raise awareness about this survey.
One in seven cases of COVID-19 reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) is among healthcare workers, and in some countries, it is as much as 35 percent. Healthcare workers also play an important role in supporting and educating their community about COVID-19 and preventative measures. The survey will assess knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices related to a potential COVID-19 vaccine; personal safety measures such as wearing masks, eye protection, hand washing, and social distancing; and prevention and treatment options. Given the importance of sharing accurate information and combating misinformation about the pandemic, the survey will also assess the communication modalities and social media content accessed by frontline healthcare workers.
“This web- and mobile-based survey, made available in 60+ languages, will provide critical information needed to identify and design interventions to support healthcare workers and their communities in accelerating the introduction of a COVID-19 vaccine and other resources to prevent and treat COVID-19 in LMICs,” said Dr. Borse, USP’s Global Health Technical Program Director. “We know vaccine hesitancy remains a top global health threat. In LMICs, where adult and annual vaccination practices such as vaccination against flu are rare, it is critical to understand how healthcare workers will perceive a future COVID-19 vaccine, as well as how they will inform their communities about it and promote it.”
While supporting the needs of frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic is a priority, currently there is no data that helps define their challenges and barriers. The KABP survey will help fill that gap for frontline healthcare workers working to combat COVID-19 in LMICs and assess the barriers to effective risk communication, particularly across geographies (by country as well as by urban versus rural areas), types of healthcare workers, and other demographics. It will also provide information to help governments and NGOs plan for the rollout of future COVID-19 vaccines and other public health prevention measures.
“This research is critical to help in our global fight against COVID-19. Healthcare workers will be disseminating the vaccine, and the communities they serve look to them for guidance,” said Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Amira Roess, professor of Global Health and Epidemiology at George Mason University's College of Health and Human Services.
This survey builds on USP’s ongoing efforts to support future availability of quality-assured, effective COVID-19 vaccines and treatments around the world, including USP’s Trust Accelerated campaign. For more information, or to get involved, visit www.usp.org/covid-19 or contact USP directly.
About USP
USP is an independent, nonprofit, scientific organization whose mission is to improve global health through public standards and related programs that help ensure the quality, safety and benefit of medicines and foods. Through our standards, advocacy, and capability-building, USP helps increase the availability of quality medicines, supplements and food for billions of people worldwide. USP has offices in the United States, Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe, including three state-of-the-art laboratories, full-scale training facilities in Ghana and India, and an online training system, and partnerships with regulators, manufacturers and other medical product supply chain stakeholders around the world.
About the George Mason University College of Health and Human Services
George Mason University is Virginia's largest and most diverse public research university. Located near Washington, DC, Mason enrolls 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason’s College of Health and Human Services prepares students to become leaders and shape the public's health through academic excellence, research of consequence, community outreach, and interprofessional clinical practice. The College enrolls more than 1,900 undergraduate and 1,370 graduate students in its nationally-recognized offerings, including: 5 undergraduate degrees, 13 graduate degrees, and 7 certificate programs. The college is transitioning to a college public health in the near future. For more information, visit https://chhs.gmu.edu/.