Resources

Ebola hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in Gabon 1994-1997

This resource describes the fall 1994 epidemic in Gabon and a retrospective check for other etiologic agents due atypical aspects of Yellow fever infection during the epidemic. The paper then highlights the beneficial use of barrier nursing techniques in limiting disease spread and in the prevention of future Ebola hemorrhagic fever epidemics.

Read more

Epidemics of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Gabon (1994-2002)

This resource considers the cultural and psycho-sociological aspects accounting for the difficulty to implement control measures during the Ebola haemorrhagic fever epidemics in Gabon between 1994 and 2002. It discusses the possibilities of better surveillance and a quick management of intervention means, including a regional permanent pre-alert.

Read more

Evidence that rodent control strategies ought to be improved to enhance food security and reduce the risk of rodent-borne illnesses within subsistence farming villages in the plague/endemic West Nile region, Uganda

This resource presents a survey of 37 households from 17 subsistence farming villages within the West Nile region of Uganda. This revealed that rodents cause both pre- and post-harvest damage to crops. Evidence of rodent access to stored foods was reported in conjunction with each of the reported storage practices, and the paper suggests that current efforts are inadequate for effectively reducing rodent abundance in homes.

Read more

Epidemics and related cultural factors for Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Gabon

This resource collected information about Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) epidemics from the Gabon Ministry of Health, district hospitals and other facilities and conducted in-depth interviews with 20 villagers and 2 traditional healers in the village where the third epidemic occurred. This study suggests that cultural factors might be very crucial to EHF outbreaks in developing countries. Quick intervention with health education is needed to disseminate appropriate knowledge and persuade people that traditional practices could carry a high risk of infection

Read more

'He is now like a brother, I can even give him some blood': Relational ethics and material exchanges in a malaria vaccine 'trial community' in The Gambia

This paper explores social relations within the ‘trial community’ (staff and volunteers) of a Malaria Vaccine Trial (MVT), implemented by the Medical Research Council (MRC) in The Gambia between 2001 and 2004. It situates ethical concerns with medical research within the everyday life of scientific fieldwork. Based upon discussions with volunteers and staff, it looks at processes of mediation between scientific project and study population, between formal ethics, local ethical debates, and everyday practice.

Read more