Fighting Ebola in the Shadow of Conspiracy Theories and Sorcery Suspicions
Domain:
healthcareCreator:
SynNik
Publisher:
Ope
Host:
The Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa claimed
more than 11,000 lives between 2013-2016. The source is believed to
have been a single infection of a small boy, caused by contact with a
bat. A huge international effort was mobilized to stem the spread of
the disease. However, these efforts were hampered by a strong and
sometimes violent resistance against the relief workers. This article
focuses on the resistance in Guinea, arguing that the resistance was
fueled by conspiracy theories, often originating in urban centers and
communicated via social media. The conspiracy theories then merged
with local sorcery beliefs, producing narratives in which Ebola relief
workers and local politicians were presented as implicated in a
sinister occult plot.
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