This site needs JavaScript to work properly. Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features!
Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

NIH NLM Logo
Log in
Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Apr 9;9(4):e0003686.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003686. eCollection 2015 Apr.

From health advice to taboo: community perspectives on the treatment of sleeping sickness in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a qualitative study

Affiliations

From health advice to taboo: community perspectives on the treatment of sleeping sickness in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a qualitative study

Alain Mpanya et al. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Socio-cultural and economic factors constitute real barriers for uptake of screening and treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Better understanding and addressing these barriers may enhance the effectiveness of HAT control.

Methods: We performed a qualitative study consisting of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions in the Bandundu and Kasaï Oriental provinces, two provinces lagging behind in the HAT elimination effort. Our study population included current and former HAT patients, as well as healthcare providers and program managers of the national HAT control program. All interviews and discussions were voice recorded on a digital device and data were analysed with the ATLAS.ti software.

Findings: Health workers and community members quoted a number of prohibitions that have to be respected for six months after HAT treatment: no work, no sexual intercourse, no hot food, not walking in the sun. Violating these restrictions is believed to cause serious, and sometimes deadly, complications. These strong prohibitions are well-known by the community and lead some people to avoid HAT screening campaigns, for fear of having to observe such taboos in case of diagnosis.

Discussion: The restrictions originally aimed to mitigate the severe adverse effects of the melarsoprol regimen, but are not evidence-based and became obsolete with the new safer drugs. Correct health information regarding HAT treatment is essential. Health providers should address the perspective of the community in a constant dialogue to keep abreast of unintended transformations of meaning.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Location of the study sites.

References

    1. Boelaert M, Meheus F, Robays J, Lutumba P. Socio-economic aspects of neglected diseases: sleeping sickness and visceral leishmaniasis. Ann Trop Med Parasitol. 2010; 104: 535–542. 10.1179/136485910X12786389891641 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Rimoin AW&HPJ. NTDs in the heart of darkness: the Democratic Republic of Congo's unknown burden of neglected tropical diseases. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2013;7 (7) e2118 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002118 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Yansouni CP, Bottieau E, Lutumba P, Winkler AS, Lynen L, Buscher P et al. Rapid diagnostic tests for neurological infections in central Africa. Lancet Infect Dis. 2013; 13: 546–558. 10.1016/S1473-3099(13)70004-5 - DOI - PubMed
    1. World Health Organization. Control and surveillance of human African trypanosomiasis: report of a WHO Expert committee. Geneva, 2013,WHO technical report series; no. 984. - PubMed
    1. Blum J, Schmid C, Burri C. Clinical aspects of 2541 patients with second stage human African trypanosomiasis. Acta Trop. 2006; 97: 55–64. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources

Full text links
Public Library of Science full text link Public Library of Science Free PMC article
Cite

AltStyle によって変換されたページ (->オリジナル) /