Consequences of losing trust for Africans in vaccines discussed at World Economic Forum

The massive uncontrollable outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi and other parts of Africa is a major concern. According to largest ever global study of public attitudes to science and health, recently released by health charity the Wellcome Trust, it has been found that "a fifth of people in Africa does not have any trust in science or medicine."

In fact, 16 of the 20 global countries with lowest levels of trust in medical experts are in Africa. It's a problem particularly for countries such as the D R Congo, currently dealing with an outbreak of Ebola. "I've been in DRC twice in the last few months. We have a vaccine, we now have a treatment - and yet, still the community are not willing to accept those interventions," says Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust at the World Economic Forum on Africa currently going on in Cape Town in South Africa (between September 4 and 6).

Dr Neema Keseje, a surgeon with Medecins Sans Frontiers shares the view from the public health frontline. "If there's no trust, they will not come to you, they will stay in their community and die from whatever disease they are suffering from," Dr Keseje said.

Now the question is what the health professionals and companies can do about this lack of trust in science and vaccines. On this, Professor Thumbi Ndung'u, Deputy Director at the Africa Health Research Institute in KwaZulu Natal said, "We need to engage with communities right from when the science is being conceived, to when the research is being done. If we don't do that, we will end up with solutions on the shelf that no one is using."

On the other hand, Dr Priya Agrawal, Managing Director, South Africa, sub-Saharan Africa at MSD gave further clarity on the solution. "We need to enable scientists to talk about science in a way that makes sense for the public," Dr Agrawal said. "A lot of social listening to understand what is going on at MSD," she added.