Study shows Kenya is the most affected African country by COVID-19

A survey done by GeoPoll has shown that Kenya is experiencing more financial and emotional stress than other African countries.

The survey which was done in Kenya, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, DRC, Mozambique and South Africa, found out that 43 per cent of the 3,000 respondents, had their emotional well being deteriorate in 2020.

But three quarter of those Kenyans who took the survey said their emotional well being was worse than last year. Most said financial pressure was the cause of the emotional stress.

Out of all the six countries that participated in the survey, Kenya was the most affected by income cuts. 64 per cent of the respondents experienced a drop in income since June. The COVID-19 restrictions in Kenya largely contributed to the drop in income which consequently led to a deterioration of emotional well-being.

“South Africa had a lock down  early in the pandemic, but measures there have since eased, and the other nations polled have had fewer long-lasting restrictions. Only Kenya has had extensive restrictive measures throughout, remaining under curfew for now eight months, and delivering economic cuts that have caused a parallel deterioration in respondents’ emotional well being,” the VP of Marketing at GeoPoll Roxana Elliott said.

COVID-19 has also caused a disruption in the normal routines of 50 per cent of all the respondents from all the six African countries. However, the impact has been greater in Kenya because 66 per cent of the respondents said their normal routines had been disrupted. Only six per cent of respondents from Kenya said their normal routines had not been altered.

56 per cent of Kenyans said that it will six months  before their financial situation improves. Whereas another 35 per cent feel it will take more than year. 44 per cent of Kenyans are hopeful that the economy will bounce back up in the next one year but another 40 per cent believes the economy will deteriorate.

“The prolonged disruption of routines in Kenya, combined with a larger second wave of infections than seen in many other countries, and a greater economic impact, have brought a general level of distress and anxiety to the national psyche that is reflecting across people’s attitudes and decisions,” Roxana noted.

Quite a sizeable (47 per cent) number of Kenyans are ready to take a vaccine as soon as possible. 21 per cent of Kenyans said they probably will.

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