April 2016 Vol. 2(1), pp. 001-004
Copyright © 2016 Transcontinental Publishers  

Full Length Research Paper

Irrationality of efforts to appease the deceased triggered community resistance to efforts designed to break chain of transmission during early stages of the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone

Jacob Mufunda*, Yustina Ndambakuwa, Davison Munodawafa, Cheik Niang, Aminata Kobie, Mamodou Gassama and Francis Kasolo

World Health Organization Country Office, Lusaka, Zambia (formerly WHO Representative for Sierra Leone in 2014).

*Corresponding Author E-mail: mufunda@yahoo.com

Accepted 07 March, 2016

Abstract

Appeasing the dead is practiced in many communities, often involving physical handling of the bodies with bare hands. This practice which is driven by traditional healers and spirit mediums created a major challenge to breaking the Ebola chain of transmission which barred the practice. Community resistance often very damaging erupted when Ebola infected or suspected cases were ejected from the community into isolation centres. The study was conducted between June and August 2014. Different research sites, participant populations and methods for data collection and analysis were used. Observation of handling of the sick and traditional conduct of burials as well as contact tracing of suspected cases of Ebola. Were done.  The corpse was washed with bare hands by women embracing the body crying to show how much they loved the deceased. If one was perceived to be too distant to the deceased, one was seen as having had antisocial relationship with the deceased. Herbalists and traditional healers advocated for strict adherence to the cultural practices and threatened the perpetrators with untold punishment. Attempts by health personnel at restricting this close unprotected contact between relatives and revered deceased was met with violent community resistance as it was perceived to be deliberate efforts to distance the living from their newest ancestor; an intermediary to God. The family was at pains to avoid having to apologize for not having physical contact with the sick suspected of having Ebola and then be devoid of deliverance from the future ancestor. Uninterrupted and unprotected physical contact by the living with the Ebola-deceased fuel the spread of Ebola.  Health education on non-physical contact modalities to show affection of the deceased needed to be explored and addressed.

Keywords: Break chain of Ebola transmission; life after death; community empowerment, resistance to Ebola interventions

Cite this Reference

Mufunda J, Ndambakuwa Y, Munodawafa D, Niang C, Kobie A, Gassama M, Kasolo F (2016). Irrationality of efforts to appease the deceased triggered community resistance to efforts designed to break chain of transmission during early stages of the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone . Interlink Continental J. Med. Med. Sci. 2(1): 001-004.