Abstract:

Background: COVID-19 is a highly transmittable respiratory infection that due to its nature of transmission had led to massive infection all over the whole that was declared the global pandemic. The virus keeps disrupting the livelihoods and mostly of those with low income this is because most of their income making activities doesn’t give the space of social distancing for instance the use of the public transport like motorbike transporters. Although many studies have been conducted on COVID-19 knowledge, attitude and prevention practices among general population and more with healthcare workers globally, but none has been conducted on motorbike transporters as one of major means of transport in Tanzania. Thus, this study is designed to fill that gap and assess on level of knowledge and how motorbike transporters protect themselves from COVID-19.

Objectives: To determine the knowledge and practice on COVID-19 prevention among motorbike transporters in Nyamagana district in Mwanza.
Methodology: The study design was cross-sectional in nature using both qualitative and quantitative approaches and was carried out among motorbike transporters in Nyamagana.

Results: The study revealed that a majority of the study participants had good knowledge on COVID-19 preventive methods seen in 92.7%, 91% and 90.3% of the participants respectively. However, despite these findings, there were poor practices on preventive methods from the disease. Only 12.7% of the participants wore face masks as a preventive method though, covering the mouth and nose was the most common practice seen in 64.3% of them.

Conclusion: The findings from the study conducted among motorcyclists in Nyamagana district in Mwanza revealed that they had generally good knowledge on the preventive measures on COVID-19 but despite this, more effort is needed to encourage methods to prevent the spread of the disease