Fears, Vulnerabilities, and Precautions over COVID-19: A Report on Citizen's Experiences in Malawi and Zambia

Abstract

This report provides key findings on the local impact of COVID-19 in Malawi and Zambia. In March 2020, Zambia and Malawi reported their first cases of COVID-19. Both governments responded by restricting non-essential travel, banning large public gatherings, and establishing emergency committees to try to contain the pandemic at a national level. These national-level responses were important, but they did not fully reflect how individuals and the communities they reside in responded to COVID-19. The GLD project, 'Developing a Locally Rooted Approach to COVID-19 Response', sought to explore citizens’ responses at a local level. Initiated in March 2020, it aimed to explore how issues such as fear of infection, income loss, social stigma, trust in authorities, and access to information affect individuals’ daily lives during the pandemic. To do so, GLD drew on contact information from respondents gathered in earlier surveys to conduct telephone interviews.

Keywords: COVID-19, local governance, Zambia, Malawi, trust, survey