Assessment of the public knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of Nigerians regarding preparedness for future pandemics

Introduction Pandemics are global health crises that have caused millions of deaths, enormous socio-economic disruptions, and considerable public and global health security consequences. This study assessed Nigerians' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding preparedness for the next pandemics. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire-based national survey was conducted among 1276 respondents in Nigeria to determine public knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of preparedness for future pandemics. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analyses. Results Of the 1276 respondents to this survey, > 50% had not heard of the Spanish flu and Zika disease. Approximately half (594) of the respondents did not consider antimicrobial resistance a possible cause of future pandemics. Over an average proportion of respondents reported unsatisfactory knowledge (655, 51.3%) and poor perceptions (695, 54.5%) about pandemic preparedness. The respondents' good knowledge and satisfactory attitudes toward pandemic preparedness decreased with age. The respondents' education, age, and state of residence were significantly associated with good knowledge, satisfactory attitudes, and positive perceptions of pandemic preparedness with respondents with tertiary education levels being at least two times more likely to have these positive outcomes. Conclusion This study revealed serious gaps in Nigerians' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of their readiness for upcoming pandemics. To protect Nigerians' health, emphasis should be placed on these issues by all stakeholders, including the government. Keywords: Pandemic, Preparedness, Public perception, Knowledge, Infectious diseases, Nigeria