The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and the University of the Witwatersrand Health Communication Research Unit is urging the South African public to participate in its INSIGHTS study.

The online survey, which will be completed anonymously, looks at how South Africans access and use information, relating to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It will also determine the public’s level of trust and satisfaction with the information obtained, among other objectives.

HSRC’s Dr Konosoang Sobane explained that the study is premised on the context of the Covid-19 pandemic that has created global panic requiring multiple forms of response, as well as an ‘infodemic’ with, in many instances, false information being circulated in communities. 

Sobane added that the public's access to, and understanding of, information helps them grasp and reduce their potential risk through relevant behavioural change.

Trust in this information is also key to successfully implementing public health responses to the pandemic, she said.

“An in-depth understanding of trends in how the public seek and share Covid-19 information in the South African context, will help us to develop contextualised and effective communication strategies with bigger potential for uptake and averting public resistance,” Sobane highlighted.

To participate in the study, please click here