Rampant misinformation regarding the COVID-19 global pandemic has undermined confidence and trust in public health sectors across the world. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, even brief exposure to COVID-19 misinformation lessened the likelihood that an individual would receive a vaccination. In order to restore confidence in governing bodies across the globe, it is critical to evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted individuals’ perceptions of government effectiveness.
ORB provides research support to the Global Listening Project, led by the Vaccine Confident Project (VCP) at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). It is a mix-methods global study funded by GSK plc. The project aims to understand global and local experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic, the level of confidence in public health interventions, the level of trust in governing bodies and the media, and individual versus collective preparedness for future crises in different countries.
ORB has conducted an initial phase of qualitative research across six countries: Brazil, France, India, Nigeria, Thailand, and the United States. ORB conducted six focus groups with members of the public, as well as 10 key informant interviews with community leaders, health and professionals, and policy makers. This qualitative research will inform the design of a questionnaire for a quantitative study that will take place across 60+ countries in 2023.
This study aims to develop an index to measure societal preparedness for future crisis (e.g. environmental disaster, health crisis/pandemic, etc.) across countries. This new index will be similar to the current Vaccine Confidence Index (VCI), which measures populations’ perceptions of vaccines as safe, important, effective and compatible with religious beliefs globally.