Social Science Considerations for Health-seeking in Epidemic Response

This briefing outlines the operational recommendations related to healthcare seeking for communities living in Ugandan border districts during the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) epidemics and the current COVID-19 pandemic, with lessons for future infectious disease outbreaks. This document draws from research on building trust in epidemic response in the Uganda-DRC border region. Data were collected from 231 participants in Uganda’s western border region, including Hoima, Kasese, and Kisoro districts in May 2021. This brief is based on a thematic analysis of power mapping workshops, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation and field experience.