Perceptions, Disease Representations, and Response Obstacles Regarding the Ebola Virus Disease Epidemic in the North Kivu and Ituri Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

We explored the perceptions and representations of diseases in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo to identify perceived obstacles regarding responses to the country 's Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak using a mix-methods approach. We surveyed a representative sample including 800 adults aged 18 years and older, held in-depth interviews with 17 community leaders, and conducted 10 focus group discussions with community members (using same-sex interviewers/discussion leaders). The results revealed the existence of several health conditions among members of the two communities. Locals consider nearly 80 of these ailments as untreatable by orthodox medicines and methods, even when symptoms are similar to EVD. Creating awareness must be considered a critical goal of community education to further educate these populations about EVD and other health problems and their respective treatments.

Exploring Alternative Care Platforms for Symptomatic People in the Fight against the Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak

Treatment centers (TCs) are the only locations designed to care for people with Ebola virus disease (EVD) symptoms. These people and their families are held at a TC as soon as they arrive at an Ebola treatment center (ETC); however, some people escape from TCs. This paper explored alternative care platforms for symptomatic people in the fight against the EVD outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Eight hundred randomly selected adults aged 18 years and above were surveyed with a uniform set of structured questionnaires. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 community/opinion leaders, while focus group discussions were held with community members who were not involved in the questionnaire study. Our findings demonstrated that people who were suspected of having EVD preferred to be treated discreetly and at home, and were more willing to be tested at home than at a TC. People were afraid of being stigmatized if the TC exposed their admittance to the general public. This article proposes an alternative to the TCs. We suggest a temporary containment facility within the community, such as a room in the suspected person's home. However, this requires negotiation between the response team and community members, with the latter having a significant responsibility in caring for their symptomatic relatives. The place or room for domestic temporary isolation should be chosen discreetly and placed far from the view of others. Community members will, thus, bear more responsibility for what happens while the patient is in isolation. The temporary containment area will assist in decentralizing the treatment of those with EVD symptoms. Its implementation will contribute to greater accountability of community members in the fight against EVD.

Involvement of Civil Society Organizations and Other Community Groups in the Response to the Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in the North Kivu and Ituri Provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo

We reviewed the involvement of civil society organizations as well as other community level organizations and structures in the response to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A total of 800 randomly selected adults were surveyed using a uniform set of structured questionnaires. An in-depth interview guide was employed to collect information from community members and religious leaders, while focus group discussions were held with community members. The results revealed some involvement of the different organizations in the communities in the response to the EVD outbreak. However, several challenges were encountered, namely security issues, poor awareness, and non-compliance to safety measures. The findings underscore that despite considerable experience over a long period with outbreaks in the DRC, people still need to be educated about the disease.

Therapeutic Itineraries during the Ebola Epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo

While treating a disease, patients or their relatives make decisions to pursue different therapeutic options, and various stages are involved in searching for a cure. This paper explored the pattern of health-seeking in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the 10th Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak. Eight hundred randomly selected adults were surveyed using a questionnaire. Qualitative data were also collected through in-depth interviews with 17 community leaders and 20 focus group discussions with community members. The results showed that modern healthcare facilities are not usually considered the first option for treatment. The therapeutic journey generally begins with the patients, who treat themselves based on the what they know about the disease and the resources they have at their disposal. However, if the disease is not cured through self-medication, then patients or their relatives will visit a pharmacy. Patients request medication they know to be effective in treating the disease, and relatives can also assist in obtaining medication in the case of immobile patients. Pharmacies commonly sell the medication to patients or their relatives without a medical prescription.

Epidemic Response amidst Insecurity: Addressing the Ebola Virus Epidemic in the Provinces of North Kivu and Ituri

This paper examines the impact of insecurity on the management of the Ebola virus disease epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo provinces of North Kivu and Ituri. In these provinces, insecurity has been one of the biggest obstacles in the response to the Ebola outbreak. When the epidemic began, these provinces were already insecure-creating unfavorable circumstances for implementing epidemic response activities. While the ninth epidemic in the Equateur province was brought under control in record time, the same was not true for the tenth epidemic in North Kivu and Ituri. Since the epidemic began, teams were organized to address all aspects of the response. These response teams conducted extensive fieldwork, including epidemiological surveillance, risk communication and community involvement, infection prevention and control, vaccination, dignified and safe burials, care at transit centers and Ebola treatment centers, and medical and psychosocial care for the recovered. They faced confrontational reactions from the communities, which jeopardized their security. The insecure state of the provinces led to the destruction and damage of infrastructure, including healthcare facilities, which affected the ability of rescue teams to access people needing care as well as the resources they needed to care for the ill. Worse yet, the insecurity took other forms, including threatening and kidnapping members of the response teams, lodging protests against the response activities in towns or health zones, committing violence against teams responsible for safe and dignified burials, instigating altercations between community members and members of the response team, and encouraging general resistance by the population. This level of insecurity interrupted or even halted response activities in some areas-sometimes for more than two weeks, decreasing the efficiency of the response teams, particularly in monitoring contacts due to the inability to access certain communities. Additionally, certain acts of protest, such as community members handling bodies as a demonstration of their opposition to safe and dignified burials, likely intensified disease spread. However, the involvement of community leaders, at least, made dialogue and negotiation possible between the response teams and community members, as such efforts led to communities contributing to the security of personnel involved in the fight against the Ebola epidemic in North Kivu and Ituri provinces.

Two Obstacles in Response Efforts to the Ebola Epidemic in the Provinces of North Kivu and Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Denial of and Rumors about the Disease

Denial and rumors are two major obstacles impairing the implementation of activities in response to the Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic. This study investigated the roles of denial and rumors, among other challenges, in complicating the response to the EVD outbreak in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A total of 800 randomly selected respondents were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 community religious and opinion leaders, as well as Ebola survivors. Furthermore, 20 focus group discussions were conducted with adult and youth male and female participants, and health care workers. The results revealed that the existence of the disease is widely denied by many, including political leaders, village chiefs, neighborhood chiefs, street chiefs, avenue chiefs, and members of the general population. These individuals generally consider the EVD to be the result of a misbehavior or a curse; consequently, the general population, including community members, teachers, and even health care professionals, refuse to comply with the authorities' strategies to fight the epidemic. Rumors are another obstacle in response efforts. Rumors pertaining to the denial of the existence of the EVD, as well as the epidemic, Ebola treatment centers, hospitals, vaccines, and safe and dignified burials have been identified. Rumors about the EVD and the response, spread by clerics, traditional therapists, men, and women, including healthcare professionals in focus group discussions, portrayed the EVD as an invention, as if the virus had been created. The response to the EVD has been marked by these two constraints, which have often hindered the involvement of community members in the fight against the disease.