Market Vendor’s Poor Adherence to Sops for COVID-19: A Potential Source for Transmission of the Virus to the Local Communities. A Case Study of Sironko District
Ali Kudamba
Faculty of Health Sciences, Habib Medical School, Islamic University in Uganda, Kampala, Uganda and Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Islamic University in Uganda, Mbale, Uganda.
Abdul Walusansa
Faculty of Health Sciences, Habib Medical School, Islamic University in Uganda, Kampala, Uganda and Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Islamic University in Uganda, Mbale, Uganda.
Jamil E. Ssenku
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Islamic University in Uganda, Mbale, Uganda.
Shaban A. Okurut
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Islamic University in Uganda, Mbale, Uganda.
Habib Namagembe
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Islamic University in Uganda, Mbale, Uganda.
Sumayah Nakitende
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Islamic University in Uganda, Mbale, Uganda.
Duncan Wanda
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Islamic University in Uganda, Mbale, Uganda.
Jabin Wasangayi
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Islamic University in Uganda, Mbale, Uganda.
Muhamad Shaban Mubajje
Department of Food Science & Nutrition, Faculty of Science, Islamic University in Uganda, Mbale. Uganda.
Hussein M. Kafero *
Faculty of Health Sciences, Habib Medical School, Islamic University in Uganda, Kampala, Uganda.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Introduction: COVID-19 is one of the huge health burdens on the earth in the recent times. Massive campaigns on the adherence to standard operation procedures (SOPs) have been emphasized by the Government of Uganda and even the county has been put in two lockdowns to curtail the spread of this disease. Despite all these efforts, market vendors in Sironko district have seemingly not complied with these SOPs and this makes them potential hotspot for disease transmission, but no qualitative study has so far been documented. Therefore, the current study investigated the adherence of SOPs for COVID-19 amongst market vendors in this area.
Methodology: A qualitative survey research design was adopted and a total of 53 participants, selected by both purposeful and simple random were involved. Interview, focus group discussion and observations techniques were used in data collection. The date was analyzed by the statistical software called MedCalc, version 20.0008
Results: The result showed that 65 % were females, most were aged between 29 females aged between 31-40 year took part in the study contributing 55% to the total subjects and married and of which 37 (70 %) were married. The market experienced challenges of inadequate & inappropriate facilities for SOPs but water was abundant (45, 85 %). All the SOPs for COVID-19 were flouted in these markets.
Conclusions: Market vendor rarely adhered to SOPs for COVID-19 and this makes them a potential source for transmission of COVID-19 to the local communities in the entire sub-regions. Therefore, there is need for department of production in Sironko district to re-enforce observance to SOPs guidelines for COVID-19 in this area.
Keywords: COVID-19, SOPs, market vendors, Sironko district, alcohol-based sanitizer, hand-washing facilities, handshaking & hugging.