Public awareness, health seeking practices and constraints to uptake of COVID-19 testing in the conflict-affected Anglophone regions of Cameroon

Background The number of COVID-19 cases around the world are on the rise, yet testing rates in Cameroon are still low especially in conflict-affected areas. We investigated the awareness, health seeking practices and barriers to COVID-19 testing in the conflict-affected communities of the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon, in order to contribute to the development of policies aiming at reduction of the disease burden. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted from October to November 2020, with residents in the North West and South West Regions. A questionnaire was administered to determine public awareness and identify aspects that may influence uptake of COVID-19 testing in conflict settings. Results Of the 872 respondents, 53.7% were females, 67.2% lived in an urban setting and 30.3% were internally displaced. 72.9% respondents had heard of COVID-19, with social media being the main channel of information. 95.2% respondents had presented with COVID-19 symptom with only 36/880 who did the test. 22.2% of respondents self-medicated and 45.6% never took any medication. Kidnappings, gunshots and distance travelled accounted for some reasons some respondents had never tested for COVID-19. Conclusion COVID-19 prevention efforts should make use of social media in circulating correct information to residents of the North West and South West Regions. Information on the various testing sites should be widely disseminated using various channels especially social media, community health workers, and religious leaders. Community-based testing of COVID-19 using rapid diagnostic tests is recommended.