Perception and attitude towards Ebola Virus Disease among traditional healers in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: Nigeria experienced her first outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the second-half of 2014. Since its first occurrence in Zaire and Sudan in 1976, most studies on EVD were clinically based and were carried out using biomedical approaches. No empirical social science/behavioural-oriented study exists on the deadly EVD in Nigeria.

Objective: This study examined the traditional healers' perception and attitude towards Ebola virus disease in Ibadan metropolis.

Study design: Purposive sampling method was used to select a total of 23 traditional healers who specialized in different areas of traditional medicine (such as herbs selling, faith healing, divination, and general practice). In-depth interview (IDI) method was employed in the study.

Results: The study found some misconceptions about the disease while the dominant attitude among the healers was that of avoidance and caution on safety.

Conclusion: The healers' interpretations of the disease rested on the culture and individual experiences. There is thus a need to take the local cultural perceptions of the Ebola Virus Disease into consideration when controlling the disease in the future.