COVID-19 self-testing in Nigeria: Stakeholders’ opinions and perspectives on its value for case detection
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Abstract
COVID-19 testing coverage is limited in Nigeria. Access to rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen-detection self-testing kits may help improve the detection of asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic cases and increase the country’s low rate of SARS-CoV-2 testing. Before implementing self-testing in Nigeria, assessing the population’s perceptions regarding this approach is imperative. In mid-2021, an exploratory cross-sectional qualitative research was conducted to investigate stakeholders’ values and preferences for SARS-CoV-2 self-testing in Nigeria.
Methods
In-person and online semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with healthcare workers, representatives of civil society, and potential implementors of self-testing delivery programs were used to explore values and perceptions around access to conventional provider-initiated COVID-19 testing. Topics included the public’s values in relation to SARS-CoV-2 self-testing, the safe and effective use of SARS-CoV-2 self-testing, and likely actions upon receiving a positive SARS-CoV-2 self-test result. A thematic analysis approach was applied.
Results
The 58 informants (29 female) reported that Nigeria has limited availability of conventional provider-delivered SARS-CoV-2 testing. While just a few informants were familiar with SARS-CoV-2 self-testing, they generally supported using self-testing as an approach that they felt could assist with early case detection and improve access to testing. Concerns relating to the use of self-testing mainly related to the ability of low-literate individuals to use and interpret the self-tests, the affordability of self-tests, equity of access, and the availability of healthcare system support for those who self-test positive.
Conclusion
Although the Nigerian public perceive multiple benefits associated with access to SARS-CoV-2 self-testing, the perceived inefficiency of the national health service delivery system may limit the access of users of the kits to psychosocial and clinical support. Nevertheless, in Nigeria, where COVID-19 vaccine coverage is low and the risk of further waves of COVID-19 is high, self-testing may assist in the prompt detection of cases and contribute to halting the spread of the virus.
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SciScore for 10.1101/2022.01.28.22269743: (What is this?)
Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.
Table 1: Rigor
Ethics Consent: Common inclusion criteria for all populations were: aged 18 years or more, willing to provide informed consent, and fluent in English or could communicate in broken English.
IRB: 2.4 Ethics Approval: This study received ethics approval from the Health Research Ethics Committee of the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife (Ref. IPH/OAU/12/1730).Sex as a biological variable not detected. Randomization To avoid sampling by convenience, these lists were randomly rearranged by FIND staff using the RANDOM. Blinding not detected. Power Analysis not detected. Table 2: Resources
Software and Algorithms Sentences Resources 2.3 Data Analysis: Transcripts were uploaded into Quirkos® software, and a … SciScore for 10.1101/2022.01.28.22269743: (What is this?)
Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.
Table 1: Rigor
Ethics Consent: Common inclusion criteria for all populations were: aged 18 years or more, willing to provide informed consent, and fluent in English or could communicate in broken English.
IRB: 2.4 Ethics Approval: This study received ethics approval from the Health Research Ethics Committee of the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife (Ref. IPH/OAU/12/1730).Sex as a biological variable not detected. Randomization To avoid sampling by convenience, these lists were randomly rearranged by FIND staff using the RANDOM. Blinding not detected. Power Analysis not detected. Table 2: Resources
Software and Algorithms Sentences Resources 2.3 Data Analysis: Transcripts were uploaded into Quirkos® software, and a thematic comparative analysis was applied. Quirkos®suggested: NoneResults from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).
Results from LimitationRecognizer: We detected the following sentences addressing limitations in the study:Our study has some strengths and limitations that should be considered. The informants were recruited from both urban and rural areas of Nigeria, and diversity regarding gender identities, location of work, and socio-professional profiles was ensured. However, this was a qualitative study, and the informants’ insights may not be representative of all possible opinions in the country. Our findings offered themes and insights that might be characteristic of the specific groups represented in our sample. Additionally, some data collection encounters were carried out via Zoom®. The content of interviews conducted online and in-person was similar; however, the interviewers felt that it was easier to build rapport with the interviewees when partaking in face-to-face encounters. The possibility that informants interviewed via Zoom® changed their narratives due to privacy or confidentiality concerns cannot be disregarded. In conclusion, facilitating the adoption and use of self-testing in Nigeria will require multiple layers of planning, ranging from the active engagement of policymakers to develop regulations and strategies for the rollout of a national self-testing program, to capacity-building of health institutions to manage the increased demand that may result from the rollout, and to the active engagement of communities and community decision-making platforms to allay fears and to support and promote the effective use of self-testing. While the public may perceive that access t...
Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.
Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.
Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.
Results from rtransparent:- Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
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- No protocol registration statement was detected.
Results from scite Reference Check: We found no unreliable references.
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