CITATION: Opinion. Ebola control is weakened by mistrust and cultural insensitivity
BMJ 2026; 394 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2026-100190 (Published 06 July 2026)
Cite this as: BMJ 2026;394:e100190
EXTRACTS
Effective response depends on cooperation with communities and frontline workers, writes Zaeem ul Haq
In a stigmatised environment, symptomatic people and their families often avoid medical care out of fear of discrimination, forced isolation, and the denial of proper burial rites. At community level, the abrupt enforcement of coercive or heavily militarised measures intensify stigma, fuel rumours, and undermine cooperation...
Maintaining communication between patients in isolation and family through digital technologies and regular updates can further reduce the fear associated with treatment centres...
In the absence of a licenced vaccine specifically for Bundibugyo Ebola, a community and its healthcare workers must be approached with systemic empathy. This is the core of outbreak response.
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org