COVID-19 or Korona Bairos? Communicating on the “disease that affects your breathing” in Northeast Nigeria

In crises like the COVID-19 pandemic it is essential to communicate in a language that is clear, accurate, and accessible. Only information in a language that people understand can save lives. To guide that communication, TWB conducted a rapid focus group discussion with 11 linguists working in eight languages that cover 83% of the crisis affected households in northeast Nigeria. The group discussed popular perceptions related to COVID-19 terminology in northeast Nigerian languages. This brief provides an overview to inform humanitarian communication on COVID-19.