LITERACY AS A VIABLE TOOL AGAINST THE OUTBREAK OF EPIDEMICS IN EBONYI STATE OF NIGERIA: THE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION

Abstract

This study focused on investigating teachers’ perception on literacy as a viable too against the outbreak of epidemics in Ebonyi State of Nigeria. In the course of the study, three (3) research questions were formulated to guide the study, while a survey research design was adopted for the study. From a total of three hundred and four (304) teachers who constituted the population of teachers in the twelve public secondary schools in Abakaliki metropolis, a sample of one hundred and twenty (120) teachers was simple randomly selected as the sample for the study. The instrument used was a structured questionnaire with four sections. Mean and standard deviation were used as instrument for data analysis.  The result of the findings revealed that the teachers, who were used in the study, agreed that literacy has really been very helpful in improving the health status of the people; it has also increased the quest for more knowledge on health education, and reduced the occurrence of the outbreak of epidemics respectively. Following some findings, recommendations and conclusions were made.