Gendered care at the margins: Ebola, gender, and caregiving practices in Uganda’s border districts

Schmidt‐Sane, Megan; Nielsen, Jannie; Chikombero, Mandi; Lubowa, Douglas; Lwanga, Miriam; Gamusi, Jonathan; Kabanda, Richard; Kaawa-Mafigiri, David

doi:10.1080/17441692.2021.1879895

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…The results of this study revealed that women are the most at risk of EVD, as previous studies have highlighted 13 . Kapur (2020) found that over half of the people who have died from EVD in the DRC are women and that children are also more affected than men.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

“…Women have less access to information on EVD than men, which increases their risk of contracting the disease 22 . Women are generally the primary caregivers for the sick in their households (e.g., mothers often travel with their sick children to seek treatment), and their occupations also make them more susceptible and exposed to the disease 13 . Women’s work also exposes them to the disease, as they must cross borders in search of a livelihood 3 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Women’s work also exposes them to the disease, as they must cross borders in search of a livelihood 3 . Women are also involved in rites such as burials (e.g., washing the body of the deceased 13 ), which entail being physically close to the deceased 23 , including those infected with EVD. In Uganda, women undress, wash, and dress the bodies for burial 14 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Impact of the Ebola Virus Disease Epidemic among Women in the Provinces of North Kivu and Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Onyeneho,

Aronu,

Igwe

et al. 2023

J Immunological Sci

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Although an outbreak of the Ebola virus disease affects an entire population, women are more susceptible to the virus than men. Throughout the outbreaks of the Ebola virus disease in Central and West Africa, women have been impacted more significantly. Generally, over half of those who become ill are women. The situation is the same in terms of mortality. Further, the outcomes of the epidemic negatively affect women socially, as many become the heads of households following the loss of their spouses, which burdens them with new responsibilities. Women’s access to health services is also lowered, as the epidemic usually leads to fewer healthcare workers, impacting gynecological assistance. Consequently, women are more exposed to health problems, particularly during pregnancy. Several factors contribute to the greater exposure of women to the Ebola virus disease during an epidemic. First, female healthcare workers are at the frontline of the fight against the virus. Second, women’s duties in the domestic context increase their exposure to contamination, as they look after children and care for sick household members. Finally, women are responsible for several community duties such as public tasks and rituals. In the case of rituals, women undertake tasks such as undressing, washing, and dressing the deceased. Likewise, they engage in agricultural work and grocery shopping locally, as well as at cross-border markets. They also manage domestic chores such as fetching water in public places. Additionally, women have less access to information on the disease and its prevention and are thus more vulnerable. However, women’s vulnerability is less visible, since information on the epidemic and response is not gender specific. This is true for the number of suspected cases, confirmed cases, vaccinated people, alerts, contacts, contacts followed up, and screened travelers. It is therefore crucial to highlight the importance of gender in the response to the Ebola virus disease epidemic, as women are the primary victims.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Impact of the Ebola Virus Disease Epidemic among Women in the Provinces of North Kivu and Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Onyeneho,

Aronu,

Igwe

et al. 2023

J Immunological Sci

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“…GBD 2021 data indicate that the incidence rate of Ebola is signi cantly higher in females. During Ebola outbreaks in Central and West Africa, women were more affected, not only in terms of illness and mortality but also through a range of social impacts (31,32). In contrast, the gender differences in HIV/AIDS incidence rates vary across different age groups.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global burden of viral infectious diseases of poverty based on GBD 2021

LI,

ZHANG,

ZHANG

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Background Viral infectious diseases of poverty (vIDPs) remain a significant global health challenge. Despite their profound impact, the burden of these diseases is not comprehensively quantified. This study aims to analyze the global burden of six major vIDPs, including COVID-19, HIV/AIDS, acute hepatitis, dengue, rabies, and Ebola, by using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2021 (GBD 2021). Methods Following the methodological framework and analytical strategies of the GBD 2021, we analyzed the incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of the six vIDPs across 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. We also examined the association between the Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) and the burden of vIDPs. All estimates were reported as numbers and rates per 100,000 population, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UI). Results In 2021, the total deaths due to vIDPs were approximately 8.7 million, and the DALYs were approximately 259.2 million, accounting for 12.8% and 9.0% of the global all-cause totals, respectively. Globally, the burden of vIDPs varied significantly. COVID-19 was the most impactful, with approximately 7.9 million (95% UI 7.5-8.4) deaths and 212.0 million (95% UI 197.9-234.7) DALYs in 2021. Acute hepatitis had the second-highest age-standardized incidence rate, while HIV/AIDS had a high age-standardized prevalence rate. The incidence of dengue significantly increased, with cases rising from 26.5 million (95% UI 3.9-51.9) in 1990 to 59.0 million (95% UI 15.5-106.9) in 2021. Rabies, although reduced in prevalence, continued to pose a significant mortality risk. Ebola had the lowest overall burden but showed significant impacts during outbreaks. Analysis revealed a negative correlation between SDI and DALYs for rabies, acute hepatitis, and HIV/AIDS, whereas dengue, Ebola, and COVID-19 showed no direct correlation with SDI. Conclusions vIDPs pose major public health challenges worldwide, with significant regional, age, and gender disparities. The results underscore the need for targeted public health interventions and international cooperation to mitigate the burden of these diseases. Policymakers can use these findings to implement cost-effective interventions and improve health outcomes, particularly in regions with high or increasing burdens.

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“…Affected communities are diverse, and thus, people within them, have different vulnerabilities to disease. For example, healers and carers are most at risk of infection with Ebola and this risk is heightened when women bear the burden of unpaid care work (Minor 2017;Schmidt-Sane et al 2021). Low-wage or informal work is also often a major driver of individuals' (in) ability to follow public health measures during an epidemic.…”

Section: Interactions Between Disease and Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Framework for Social Science in Epidemics

Ripoll

Abbas

MacGregor

et al. 2022

Anthropology in Action

Self Cite

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In epidemic preparedness and response, it is now commonly accepted that insights from social science disciplines are important in shaping action. Unfortunately, the role of social science is often confined to risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) efforts. In this article, we propose an analytical framework that would allow researchers and practitioners from different disciplines to employ social science insights to enrich their understanding of epidemics and formulate more effective and sustainable responses. The framework goes beyond simply unpacking social, political, economic and cultural dimensions of context; it situates disease itself – as it is shaped by the contexts in which it circulates – and views it in dynamic relation to response. It also explores how different individuals, social groups and institutions shift their knowledge and practices during an epidemic through power-laden processes of dialogue and learning, or even through silencing and side-lining. It is our hope that this framework will enable responders to engage more deeply and systematically with the contexts of emergencies, so as to ensure activities are more adaptive to local dynamics.

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Gendered care at the margins: Ebola, gender, and caregiving practices in Uganda’s border districts

Cited by 6 publications

References 32 publications

The Impact of the Ebola Virus Disease Epidemic among Women in the Provinces of North Kivu and Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Impact of the Ebola Virus Disease Epidemic among Women in the Provinces of North Kivu and Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Global burden of viral infectious diseases of poverty based on GBD 2021

A Framework for Social Science in Epidemics

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