Ebola Virus Disease: Knowledge, Attitude and Perception - The Case of Uganda

Abstract Introduction Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe hemorrhagic disease caused by the Ebola Virus. The EVD is highly infectious with a high fatality rate. Uganda has experienced multiple Ebola outbreaks. To address the need for renewed engagement between the government and community, this study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices towards EVD in different regions of Uganda. Objectives To determine the level of knowledge, attitude and prevention practices towards the Ebola Virus in the different regions of Uganda. Methods A descriptive community-based cross-sectional design was conducted. The study implored a quantitative approach. Participants were randomly assessed of their knowledge, attitude and prevention of the EVD. Data was analyzed with Stata 15. Results The study enrolled 737 community members. The majority of the community members demonstrated good knowledge levels of EVD. Participants who obtained information from social media had higher knowledge levels across the respective study regions of the country; Mbale (OR = 9.8, CI: 2.2–43.5, p = 0.03) and Mbarara (OR = 8.6, CI: 4.0-18.45, P = 0.001) cities. However, in Lira city, the association between social media and knowledge levels was not statistically significant. The use of television as an information source significantly positively affected knowledge levels in Mbale city, Eastern region (OR = 4.0, CI: 1.6–10.1, P = 0.004). Health workers exhibited significantly higher knowledge compared to the others (OR = 8.9, CI: 1.1–69.6, P = 0.038) Knowing how to approach a suspected case, had a significant level in Mbale city, Eastern region (OR = 8.6, CI: 2.4–30.4, P = 0.001). Similarly, knowing how to use PPE was associated with higher levels in Lira city north Eastern region (OR = 2.0, CI: 1.1–3.3) P = 0.021. The majority both females (94.4%, 91.7% and males (88.9%, 90%) agreed to the isolation of the case and the family respectively avoid the risk of infection and death, which also led to a discriminatory attitude towards survivors and a distrust of EVD treatment. All participants 74.3% and 76.9% female and male perceived the Ebola treatment as very expensive. Conclusion Our results are in tandem with previous reports. we found that urban communities are more knowledgeable and have better attitudes towards pandemic outbreaks, though this varies from region to region. Public perceptions, community engagement and social media may be useful tools in mapping knowledge and awareness strategies for disease outbreaks.