Combating coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in rural areas of Malawi: Factors affecting the fight

Background Owing to their detachment from urban areas, people living in rural areas of Malawi are on the receiving end of health services and socio-economic benefits. The study therefore explored how Malawians living in these areas are adhering to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) containment measures and the factors that affect the COVID-19 fight amongst this population.Aim The study investigated how the rural population in Malawi adheres to COVID-19 containment measures.Setting The study was conducted in two districts in Northern Malawi.Methods Data were collected from 263 participants. The chi-square (χ2) test was performed to determine the association between demographic variables and COVID-19 prevention practices and factors affecting the COVID-19 fight.Results Education was significantly associated with wearing of masks (p = 0.01), use of sanitisers (p