Community Compliance to the Ebola Outbreak Control Measures in the North-eastern Region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2019

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is enduring; since 2018, its tenth and deadliest Ebola outbreak already over 2000 deaths have been claimed. Compliance to control measures relied on trust and the perception of the population. This study aimed at exploring the perception of people living in areas affected by the Ebola virus disease (EVD). This study was a descriptive qualitative study conducted in three health zones in three of the most affected districts: Katwa in Butembo city, Beni in Beni city and Mandima in Ituri Province. One hundred and three participants were purposively selected. In-depth interviews were conducted using a guide that included open-ended questions on: 1) Participants’ experience of the EDV; 2) Perception of the Ebola outbreak; 3) Perception of self-vulnerability; and 4) Perception of the effectiveness of control measures to stop the outbreak. Thematic analysis was used to report qualitative findings. The results of this study showed that participants’ experience of the EVD was through members (relatives, friends, neighbours…) of the community who were either infected or in contact with the virus. Their perception of the symptoms, the management and the outcomes of these episodes were keystone of the way in which they comprehended the disease. Some members of the community questioned the diagnosis since several cases did not develop haemorrhagic symptoms. Participants showed some confidence on their own vulnerability to the disease and were convinced, to some extent, that this outbreak could be stopped if those control measures were respected. However, the denial of the outbreak fueled by political distrust still remains challenging. We concluded that addressing the Ebola outbreak requires an adapted bottom-up communication that could help alleviate this lack of trust, improve community perception and therefore, of the disease.