Kasereka Masumbuko Claude|Jack Underschultz|Michael Hawkes
Social resistance drives persistent transmission of Ebola virus disease in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: A mixed-methods study
Université Catholique du Graben|University of Alberta|University of Alberta
second largest ebola virus disease evd epidemic history currently raging eastern democratic republic congo drc stubbornly persistent evd transmission associated social resistance ranging passive noncompliance overt acts aggression toward evd reponse teamswe explored community resistance using focus group discussions assessed prevalence resistant views using standardized questionnairesdespite generally cooperative appreciative evd response led government drc support international community focus group participants provided eyewitness accounts aggressive resistance control efforts consistent recent media reports mistrust evd response teams fueled perceived inadequacies response effort herd medicine suspicion mercenary motives violation cultural burial mores makeshift plastic morgue survey questionnaires found majority respondents compliant attitudes respect evd control nonetheless 78630 12 respondents believed evd fabricated exist area 482630 72 dissatisfied mistrustful evd response 60630 9 sympathized perpetrators overt hostility furthermore 102630 15 expressed noncompliant intentions case evd illness death family member including hiding health authorities touching body refusing welcome official burial team denial biomedical discourse dissatisfactionmistrust evd response statistically significantly associated indicators social resistancewe concluded social resistance evd control efforts prevalent among focus group survey participants mistrust deep political historical roots area besieged chronic violence neglected outside world may fuel social resistance resistant attitudes may refractory shortlived community engagement efforts targeting epidemic broader humanitarian crisis eastern drc