Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Apr 9;35(Suppl 2):2.
doi: 10.11604/pamj.supp.2020.35.2.22606. eCollection 2020.

Public trust in the time of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): the case of the DR Congo

Guy-Lucien Whembolua  1 , Daudet Ilunga Tshiswaka  2
Affiliations

Public trust in the time of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): the case of the DR Congo

Guy-Lucien Whembolua et al. Pan Afr Med J. .

Abstract

Over the past half century, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a low-income and post-conflict country, has experienced several Ebola Virus Disease outbreaks, with different fatality rates. The DRC is currently experiencing the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Using the PEN-3 cultural model, we assessed the socio-cultural factors affecting public trust in the government and its health agencies. Results of this analysis revealed the perceptions, enablers, and nurturers that impacted public trust in the government and its health agencies among the Congolese population. Future interventions designed to address the COVID-19 in the DRC should account for these socio-cultural factors.

Keywords: COVID-19; Congo; PEN-3; trust.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

References

    1. World Health Organization WHO Director-general´s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19-11 March 2020. Accessed March 23, 2020.
    1. Iwelunmor J, Newsome V, Airhihenbuwa CO. Framing the impact of culture on health: a systematic review of the PEN-3 cultural model and its application in public health research and interventions. Ethnicity & Health. 2014;19(1):20–46. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Airhihenbuwa CO. Perspectives on AIDS in Africa: strategies for prevention and control. AIDS Education and Prevention: Official Publication of the International Society for AIDS Education. 1989;1(1):57–69. - PubMed
    1. Whembolua GL, Conserve DF, Ilunga Tshiswaka D. Socio-cultural Factors Influencing the Ebola Virus Disease-related Stigma among African Immigrants in the United States. Irikirendo: Journal of African Migration. 2017:114–136.
    1. Airhinebuwa CO, DeWitt Webster J. Culture and African contexts of HIV/AIDS prevention care and support. SAHARA Journal: Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research Alliance. 2004;1(1):4–13. - PMC - PubMed