埃博拉相关恐惧、耻辱及歧视不容忽视

埃博拉相关恐惧、耻辱和歧视是在埃博拉病毒病(EVD)流行过程中产生的一种心理障碍及行为表现。它的产生不仅与EVD的高致死性、易传播性、不易鉴别等特点有关,而且与西非滞后的经济和教育水平、极不完善的医疗体系、传统的生活生产方式以及当地政治等多种因素有关。笔者作为中国人民解放军第二批援利医疗队成员,在利比里亚工作期间也感受到了针对EVD患者、密切接触者甚至相关医务工作者的恐惧、歧视甚至伤害,也体会到这些行为对EVD防控带来的不利影响;在积极救治EVD患者的过程中,通过深入当地社区开展相关宣传教育、培训当地医务人员防护技能、雇佣EVD治愈者参与防控工作以及援助大量防护装备等方式提高当地EVD防控水平,消除埃博拉相关恐惧、耻辱及歧视。通过加紧研制针对EVD的药物和疫苗,坚持全方位的援助以及加强宣传教育等方式将有助于消除埃博拉疫情及其相关恐惧、耻辱和歧视。

Ebola virus disease-related fear, stigma and discrimination can not be overlooked

Ebola virus disease (EVD)-related fear, stigma and discrimination are series of psychological barriers and behaviors during EVD epidemics, which are caused not only by the characters of EVD, such as high fatality rate, high transmission efficiency and clinical similarities to other infectious diseases, but also by the backward economy and educational levels, unsound hospital and health care system, traditional production mode and life style, and political unrest in West Africa countries. As members of the second batch of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) medical team to Liberia the authors noticed that not only EVD patients and the contacts, but also the medical workers had to face the fear, discrimination, and even the violence from other people, which decreased the effects of the EVD-prevention and control efforts. Prompt publicity and education about EVD in local communities, Ebola-prevention training programs to the local health workers, letting Ebola survivors to participate in the epidemic control mission, and providing more protective equipment should be employed to improve Ebola prevention and eliminate the Ebola-related fear, stigma and discrimination. It is suggested that strengthening the research on the specific vaccines and medicines against Ebola, all-around assistance from the international society and extensive publicity and education about Ebola can help to dismiss the psychological barriers of fear, stigma, and discrimination about EVD.