Abstract
To characterize the perception of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Guinea, we administered, from November 2014 to February 2015, a questionnaire to a convenience sample of 200 lay people in Conakry and a group of 8 physicians. We found widespread misconceptions among lay people, including that praying to God can protect against EVD, that traditional healers are more competent than physicians in treating EVD, that people get infected through physical proximity without contact, that the Ebola epidemic is the result of Western bioterrorism experiments, that Western medical staff disseminated the virus, and that the purpose of quarantine measures is to hasten the death of Ebola patients. Major educational interventions, sensitive to local cultural beliefs, are needed to overcome the misconceptions about Ebola in Guinea.
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Acknowledgements
Financial support for this study was provided entirely by a grant from University of Québec-TELUQ. The funding agreement ensured the authors’ independence in designing the study, interpreting the data, writing, and publishing the report. The authors thank Raymond Smith, MD, a specialist in infectious diseases and Vice-Chair of Medicine, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, for helping us interpret the responses to the Ebola questionnaire.
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How do people in affected countries understand Ebola virus disease? The flaws in understanding uncovered by these investigators in Guinea may influence the capacity of public health to control the disease
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Kpanake, L., Gossou, K., Sorum, P. et al. Misconceptions about Ebola virus disease among lay people in Guinea: Lessons for community education. J Public Health Pol 37, 160–172 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1057/jphp.2016.1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/jphp.2016.1