São Tomé and Príncipe: São Toméans Approve of Government Response to Covid-19 but Pan Corruption, Unfair Aid Distribution

18 October 2024
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Gildfred Boateng Asiamah and Nina Silvia Iskandarsjach

Most citizens favour greater investment in preparations for future health emergencies.

Key findings

  • Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic: o As of December 2022, three in 10 São Toméans (31%) said a member of their household had lost a job, business, or primary source of income due to the pandemic, while 9% reported that someone in their household had become ill with COVID-19 or tested positive for the virus.
  • Attitudes toward vaccines: o More than nine out of 10 citizens (93%) said they had received at least one dose of a vaccine against COVID-19. o Only 3% said they were unlikely to try to get vaccinated. o Citizens who said they were unlikely to get vaccinated cited a variety of reasons for their hesitancy, including fear of negative side effects, the belief that God would protect them from COVID-19, and concerns that the vaccine was developed too quickly. o Almost six in 10 São Toméans (58%) said they trust the government "somewhat" or "a lot" to ensure the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.
  • Government response to COVID-19: o More than three-fourths (77%) of São Toméans said the government has performed "fairly well" or "very well" in managing the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. o Specifically, majorities expressed satisfaction with the government's efforts to minimise disruptions to children's education (67%), to ensure that health facilities were adequately resourced (67%), and to provide assistance to vulnerable households (61%). o But about two-thirds of respondents said that pandemic-related assistance was distributed unfairly (67%) and that "some" or "a lot" of the resources intended for the pandemic response were lost to corruption (64%). o Majorities considered it justified for the government to use the police or military to enforce public health mandates (72%) and to postpone elections (55%) during a pandemic. But only 34% endorsed censoring media reporting in response to a public health emergency.
  • Looking ahead: o A slim majority (52%) of São Toméan said they think their government is prepared to deal with future public health emergencies. o But seven in 10 (70%) said the government needs to invest more in such preparations, even if it means fewer resources are available for other health services.

São Tomé and Príncipe recorded its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on 6 April 2020 (RFI, 2020). To limit the spread of the virus, the government implemented COVID-19 testing and quarantine protocols, lockdowns, limited public gatherings, and enforced mandatory mask wearing in enclosed public spaces (Crisis 24, 2022).

These restrictions led to economic slowdowns across São Tomé and Príncipe. The tourism industry, which accounts for more than 20% of the island nation's employment, was impacted especially severely, with a 70% drop in tourist arrivals in 2020 (International Trade Administration, 2022; Salaudeen, 2020). Most workers are in the informal sector and were left without any social protection (African Development Bank Group, 2022).

To boost the economy, the government secured a $2.5 million grant from the World Bank (2020a) to augment the country's COVID-19 response efforts. The government provided direct and indirect cash transfers to 16,000 households affected by the pandemic for a duration of one year under the Social Protection COVID-19 Response and Recovery Project (World Bank, 2020b).

Findings from Afrobarometer's most recent survey in São Tomé and Príncipe, conducted in December 2022, show high levels of satisfaction with the government's response to the pandemic. Most citizens said they had been vaccinated against COVID-19, and a majority expressed trust in the government's ability to ensure that the vaccines are safe.

However, majorities described the distribution of pandemic-related assistance as unfair, said that "a lot" of the resources intended for the COVID-19 response were lost to corruption, and urged the government to invest more in special preparations for future public health emergencies.

Gildfred Boateng Asiamah Gildfred Boateng Asiamah previously served as a research analyst at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana).

Nina Silvia Iskandarsjach Nina Silvia Iskandarsjach is an international relations student at Stanford University and a Stanford in Government Fellow at CDD-Ghana

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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