the Institute of Development Studies and partner organisations
Browse
- No file added yet -

Social pathways for Ebola Virus Disease in rural Sierra Leone, and some implications for containment

Download (1.55 MB)
journal contribution
posted on 2024-09-06, 07:11 authored by Paul Richards, Joseph Amara, Mariane C. Ferme, Prince Kamara, Esther Mokuwa, Amara Idara Sheriff, Roland Suluku, Maarten Voors
The current outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Upper West Africa is the largest ever recorded. Molecular evidence suggests spread has been almost exclusively through human-to-human contact. Social factors are thus clearly important to understand the epidemic and ways in which it might be stopped, but these factors have so far been little analyzed. The present paper focuses on Sierra Leone, and provides cross sectional data on the least understood part of the epidemic-the largely undocumented spread of Ebola in rural areas. Various forms of social networking in rural communities and their relevance for understanding pathways of transmission are described. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between marriage, funerals and land tenure. Funerals are known to be a high-risk factor for infection. It is suggested that more than a shift in awareness of risks will be needed to change local patterns of behavior, especially in regard to funerals, since these are central to the consolidation of community ties. A concluding discussion relates the information presented to plans for halting the disease. Local consultation and access are seen as major challenges to be addressed.

History

Publisher

Public Library of Science

Citation

Richards, P., Amara, J., Ferme, M.C., Kamara, P., Mokuwa, E., Sheriff, A.I., Suluku, R. and Voors, M. (2015) Social Pathways for Ebola Virus Disease in Rural Sierra Leone, and Some Implications for Containment. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 9 (4): e0003567.

IDS Item Types

Article

Country

Sierra Leone

Language

en

Identifier Ag

EPD/318; ES/J017620/1

Usage metrics

    Impact Initiative - Urban/Rural

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Licence

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC