Public Perceptions of Climate Variability and its Impact on Measles Outbreak in Kano State, Nigeria

Climate variation affects the rate of measles occurrence. High temperatures in a congested environment, for instance, positively influence the outbreak of the disease. This consequently resulted in a high rate of disease occurrence and the livelihood of the community at large. The current research assessed public perception of the impact of climate variability on the occurrence of measles in Kano State. Data on people’s perceptions was obtained using a questionnaire and key informant interviews. In addition, raw data for the variables was also obtained for regression analysis. Seven hundred and eighty-four (784) structured copies of the questionnaire were administered, and five (5) key informants’ members were selected for qualitative data. The obtained data were analysed using descriptive, inferential statistics, and thematic framework, and the results were presented using charts and tables. Results showed that the majority (75.7%) and 49.3 of the respondents were of the view that temperature and rainfall, respectively, are increasing in the area, while the majority (43.6%) were of the view that humidity has been on the decrease. The results show that 63.2% considered temperature to be positively related to measles, while 46.9% being of the view that an increase in rainfall does not lead to higher cases of measles. Results from regression analysis revealed R2 values during hot/dry (0.075), this was followed by cold/dry with 0.03. However, it was just around 0.013 during warm/wet, which indicated that temperature and rainfall affect the outbreak of measles at lower degrees. Based on these, it is concluded that, not everywhere and at all times climate variability influences the occurrence of measles in Kano State. It was recommended that several strategies, such as planting of vegetation and public campaigns, should be increased in the area.