Ebola virus disease-related fear, stigma and discrimination can not be overlooked / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Ebola virus disease (EVD)-related fear, stigma and discrimination are series of psychological barriers and behaviors during EVD epidemics, which are caused not only by the characters of EVD, such as high fatality rate, high transmission efficiency and clinical similarities to other infectious diseases, but also by the backward economy and educational levels, unsound hospital and health care system, traditional production mode and life style, and political unrest in West Africa countries. As members of the second batch of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) medical team to Liberia the authors noticed that not only EVD patients and the contacts, but also the medical workers had to face the fear, discrimination, and even the violence from other people, which decreased the effects of the EVD-prevention and control efforts. Prompt publicity and education about EVD in local communities, Ebola-prevention training programs to the local health workers, letting Ebola survivors to participate in the epidemic control mission, and providing more protective equipment should be employed to improve Ebola prevention and eliminate the Ebola-related fear, stigma and discrimination. It is suggested that strengthening the research on the specific vaccines and medicines against Ebola, all-around assistance from the international society and extensive publicity and education about Ebola can help to dismiss the psychological barriers of fear, stigma, and discrimination about EVD.