Behavioural Change Communication and Response to Nigeria’s 2024 Cholera Outbreak: Sustainable Solution at Last?

Various communication arsenals are often used during a disease outbreak, but little is known about the use of different strategies to influence behaviour that enhances disease prevention and cure. Thus, this study explored how different channels of communication engendered containment measures during the June 2024 cholera outbreak in Nigeria. Qualitative design, which includes observation and focus group discussion, was used in this study. Audio files were transcribed and coded using the keywords – in-context. The study’s findings demonstrated that awareness of the Cholera outbreak was mainly spread through interpersonal conversations in homes, markets, churches, mosques and hospitals and social media. Such conversations account for knowledge and acceptance. This study provides preliminary evidence that social and behaviour change (hereafter referred to as SBCC) is gradually gaining popularity in health communication domains. It also found challenges to effective public health information reception to include linguistic barriers, survival quest and the lack of electricity. Recommendations include the imperative of extending the channels of communication for effective health behavioural change to include more of the new media and entertainment genres like films, skits and community theatre for health promotion. Also, there should be a total adoption of the tenet of the SBCC approach through further studies focusing on disaggregating data about gender, social status and age. Given this, it will help mainstream communication and help in choosing community mobilisers that the community dwellers can identify with, as well as the use of traditional modes of communication, because they are still lively.