Medicina Comunitária e Educação em Saúde

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Untying Socio-Cultural -Ties to Curb the Spread of COVID-19 in Ethiopia: Reviews, Observations and Commentaries

Dano Endalu Olana*

Background: Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a pressing public health agenda. Countries with giant economy and sophisticated health system have been grappled with the spread of the pandemic that resulted in significant number of deaths. Furthermore, COVID-19 has imposed massive social, economic and political crises. As a result, countries declared different corona prevention methods based on the recommendations forwarded by World Health Organization (WHO). Social distancing is one of the major alternatives under execution. The aim of this paper was, therefore, to highlight on the expediency of social distancing model and associated COVID-19 prevention methods vis-à-vis the socio-cultural contexts of Ethiopia.

Methods: The study was guided by explanatory qualitative research. Data for this study were organized from March 15, 2020 to April 2, 2020. Sources of data were observations, diaries, official reports, media outlets, digital texts and relevant literature. Data were analyzed through discussions using narration technique. Data gathered through different methods were triangulated to complement each other. The concern of this study was the prevention aspects of COVID-19 from the socio-cultural perspectives.

Results: Ethiopian government was committed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through executing pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical measures. Social distancing, stay at home, hand washing with soap and hand sanitizer, applying mask, glove and lockouts were among the methods in practice. The mainstream media in Ethiopia were widely engaged in enforcing social distancing and related measures to ban the spread of the virus. Despite the fact that internet technology is scarce; digital communication was recommended to create mass awareness. The study, however, revealed that social distancing was challenged by the deep rooted socio-cultural domains. Social gatherings were noticed during religious and cultural events, funerals and market exchanges, cultural greetings, meetings, coffee ceremony, hotel and cafeteria services, cultural drinking (farsoo, qub-lamee, Daadhii…) and serving. The collectivist culture of Ethiopia and unemployment also challenged the “stay at home “national motto. Besides, evidences indicated that washing hands to prevent the virus lacked consistency. Health facilities were scanty to suffice COVID-19 prevention methods which in turn affected the application of social distancing. The traditional health belief and practices seemed hampering COVID-19 prevention methods. Furthermore, the western model of communication approach was not adequate to reach media and information illiterate majority in Ethiopia. There was also gap in the information flow and monitoring. During the lockouts intent, the disadvantaged population groups such as street children, women, retired people, unemployed youth, commercial gender workers and taxi drivers encountered hazardous challenges.

Conclusion: COVID-19 prevention models in Ethiopia were mainly challenged by the socio-cultural, religious-spirituality, economic and institutional factors. Therefore, the government, together with the stakeholders, through addressing institutional and financial constraints, should make use of opinion leaders such as Gada leaders, religious fathers, elders and prominent personalities to address the public with user-friendly information, education and communication to curb the fast spread of COVID-19.