A quarter of people interviewed in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo last year during the ongoing Ebola outbreak believed the deadly virus wasn't real, according to a new study.
According to the study, less than 32 percent of respondents said they thought local authorities could be trusted to represent their interest, though everyone felt local authorities were more trustworthy than those at the city, provincial and national levels.
"Ebola responders are often from outside local communities, so building trust via local leaders and service providers should be a cornerstone of efforts to engage with people to control outbreaks," Vinck said in the statement. "This is particularly important in conflict zones where information about outbreaks can become politicized."
"As the outbreak was announced, it was met with skepticism and mistrust," Vinck told ABC News via email Friday. "Early on, rumors about the reality of the epidemic and/or its use for political gains in a context of upcoming presidential elections seriously hindered the response. What our study shows is that the mistrust and misinformation that circulated directly affected people’s behavior and decisions to seek care, adopt protective behaviors or accept vaccine.
Special dialogues are being held in communities where incidents of locals showing reluctance or resistance to the response have been frequent. An anthropologist first meets with the community to ascertain their concerns, then arranges for communal meetings where these concerns can be discussed among various parties, including local youth leaders, women's associations, traditional practitioners and health care providers.
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