DEMOSCOPE bureau of express public opinion monitoring has conducted the survey of Kazakhstan citizens’ opinion about meningitis in Kazakhstan.1858 people from Astana, Almaty and 14 regional centers of Kazakhstan became participants of the poll.
The questions were answered by 76% of women and 24% of men over 18. For this selection the maximum size of a statistical error with probability of 95% does not exceed 1.23%.
The poll method is a telephone interview. The survey was conducted from June 10 to June 12, 2018.
In the context of information noise and fakes on meningitis «epidemic» in Kazakhstan, Demoscope investigated what people know and feel about this situation.
Previously factcheck.kz has published the article denying information on disease «outbreak»: Lie | Meningitis epidemic in Kazakhstan: the Ministry of Healthcare makes it clear.
The poll has shown that 68% of Kazakhstani citizens are concerned by threat of meningitis. However, at the same time 42% hope that the situation is under the state control. 26% of respondents do not feel safe. 22% of the population react neutrally to «epidemic» considering it usual seasonal illness. Only 11% connect the infection «outbreak» with «negligent work of our healthcare system.»
In general Kazakhstani citizens are not in panic. More than a half of respondents estimate actions of the authorities in this situation positively or neutrally. At the same time Kazakhstani citizens consider that not everything depends on medicine, people are responsible for their health themselves.
46% of respondents critically think about actions of the state in the solution they chose, as in their opinion the emergency measures are necessary. About a half of them (21%) think distinct and are sure that the costs for vaccine, which have to be affordable for any person, are much more important than expensive anniversary of the capital. It is interesting that approximately the equal number of respondents from Almaty and Astana have common opinion on this question.
It is telling that only 10% plan to be vaccinated. The vast majority (89%) of Kazakhstani citizens do not intend to do that. A third of them decided so because of high price of the vaccine. The others consider it unnecessary. Most of the interested in free vaccination are people in their sixties.
It is noteworthy that taking into account the regions gradation, the inhabitants of South Kazakhstan region where fatal cases of meningococcal infection were registered are mostly worried about «epidemic». West Kazakhstan region where there were no cases of disease and Almaty, where, as it is known, the greatest number of infected is recorded.
Within the poll, it is clear that people are highly aware of the situation. Two thirds of respondents know the main symptoms of meningitis. It is significant that men are less interested and informed than women. Women, respectively, are more anxious.
It should be noted that 18% of respondents consider that «someone does need this buzz around this situation.»