How elements of culture have contributed to the construction of health meanings in regards to the 2014 Ebola outbreak

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which elements of culture (values, beliefs, and behaviors) have contributed to the construction of health meaning in regards to 2014 Ebola outbreak in Guinea.

I conducted 14 interviews with people who lived in Guinea during the 2014 Ebola outbreak about their own experiences of the crisis and how health related messages were received by the general population. All the participants in this study were between 25 and 56 with an average age of 41.

All participants agreed that culture played a crucial role in how people perceived the disease. It has also impacted the way people responded the prevention plans. When the ones did not believe in the existence of the disease, others did believe but because of certain customs, they were unable to follow public health safety recommendation.