Education and Health Care in Equatorial Guinea

Naseef, Kara A; Reuter, Kim E.

doi:10.11634/216817831302291

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…The public health facilities in the mainland region comprise health posts, health centres, 13 hospital districts and one regional hospital located in the city of Bata. In 2016, only 2 Cuban psychiatrists served the entire population in the Regional Hospital of Bata, and there are 2 mental health religious nurses in Angokon Benito Menni Mental Health Center [ 32 – 33 ]. There are also private health clinics, Chinese medicine clinics, traditional medicine posts, drug stores and modern pharmacies without regulations.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the knowledge, explanatory models of illness, and patterns of healthcare-seeking behaviour of Fang culture-bound syndromes in Equatorial Guinea

et al. 2018

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In 1994, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) included “culture-bound syndromes” in its classification of psychiatric disorders and associated them with disease processes that manifest in behavioural or thought disorders that develop within a given cultural context. This study examines the definitions, explanatory models, signs and symptoms, and healthcare-seeking behaviours common to Fang culture-bound syndromes (i.e., kong, eluma, witchcraft, mibili, mikug, and nsamadalu). The Fang ethnic group is the majority ethnic group in Equatorial Guinea. From September 2012 to January 2013, 45 key Fang informants were selected, including community leaders, tribal elders, healthcare workers, traditional healers, and non-Catholic pastors in 39 of 724 Fang tribal villages in 6 of 13 districts in the mainland region of Equatorial Guinea. An ethnographic approach with an emic-etic perspective was employed. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, participant observation and a questionnaire that included DHS6 key indicators. Interviews were designed based on the Cultural Formulation form in the DSM-5 and explored the definition of Fang cultural syndromes, symptoms, cultural perceptions of cause, and current help-seeking. Participants defined “Fang culture-bound syndromes" as those diseases that cannot be cured, treated, or diagnosed by science. Such syndromes present with the same signs and symptoms as diseases identified by Western medicine. However, they arise because of the actions of enemies, because of the actions of spirits or ancestors, as punishments for disregarding the law of God, because of the violation of sexual or dietary taboos, or because of the violation of a Fang rite of passage, the dzas, which is celebrated at birth. Six Fang culture-bound syndromes were included in the study: 1) Eluma, a disease that is targeted at the victim out of envy and starts out with sharp, intense, focussed pain and aggressiveness; 2) Witchcraft, characterized by isolation from the outside, socially maladaptive behaviour, and the use of hallucinogenic substances; 3) Kong, which is common among the wealthy class and manifests as a disconnection from the environment and a lack of vital energy; 4) Mibili, a possession by evil spirits that manifests through visual and auditory hallucinations; 5) Mikug, which appears after a person has had contact with human bones in a ritual; and 6) Nsamadalu, which emerges after a traumatic process caused by violating traditions through having sexual relations with one’s sister or brother. The therapeutic resources of choice for addressing Fang culture-bound syndromes were traditional Fang medicine and the religious practices of the Bethany and Pentecostal churches, among others. Among African ethnic groups, symbolism, the weight of tradition, and the principle of chance in health and disease are underlying factors in the presentation of certain diseases, which in ethno-psychiatry are now referred to as culture-bound syndromes. In this study, traditional heal...

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the knowledge, explanatory models of illness, and patterns of healthcare-seeking behaviour of Fang culture-bound syndromes in Equatorial Guinea

et al. 2018

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“…6 Since discovery of offshore oil in the 1990s, EG has boomed economically, 3 with significant improvements in public health exemplified by the building of modern hospitals such as the La Paz Medical Center. 5,[7][8][9][10] However, malaria remains a major public health problem in Africa, 11,12 including in EG where there is markedly higher prevalence on the mainland and other islands of EG, accounting for ∼50% of illness in children younger than 5 years 6,10 and significantly impacting the Equatoguinean economy. 7,13,14 Intractable malaria.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The project deployed numerous malaria control interventions, including indoor residual spraying of insecticides, achieving at least 80% of targeted coverage during island-wide and targeted spray rounds, mass distribution and installation of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets, achieving at least 85% coverage during each distribution campaign, coupled with targeted maintenance through antenatal clinics and schools, focal application of larvicides, universal curative treatment with artemisinin combination therapy, intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy, mass education and behavioral change communications, and training MHSW personnel. 5 , 9 , 13 , 30 In addition, the BIMCP established a mapping and enumeration system of houses and households that allowed it to more effectively plan, implement, target, and monitor malaria control interventions. The implementation of this system began in 2012 and was fully implemented in 2014.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Equatoguinean Malaria Vaccine Initiative: From the Launching of a Clinical Research Platform to Malaria Elimination Planning in Central West Africa

Billingsley

Maas

Olotu

et al. 2020

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Fifteen years of investment in malaria control on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea (EG), dramatically reduced malaria-associated morbidity and mortality, but the impact has plateaued. To progress toward elimination, EG is investing in the development of a malaria vaccine. We assessed the unique public-private partnership that has had such a significant impact on malaria on Bioko Island and now added a major effort on malaria vaccine development. As part of a $79M commitment, the EG government (75%) and three American energy companies (25%) have invested since 2012 greater than $55M in the Equatoguinean Malaria Vaccine Initiative (EGMVI) to support clinical development of Sanaria ® PfSPZ vaccines (Sanaria Inc., Rockville, MD). In turn, the vaccine development program is building human capital and physical capacity. The EGMVI established regulatory and ethical oversight to ensure compliance with the International Conference on Harmonization and Good Clinical Practices for the first importation of investigational product, ethical approval, and conduct of a clinical trial in Equatoguinean history. The EGMVI has completed three vaccine trials in EG, two vaccine trials in Tanzania, and a malaria incidence study, and initiated preparations for a 2,100-volunteer clinical trial. Personnel are training for advanced degrees abroad and have been trained in Good Clinical Practices and protocolspecific methods. A new facility has established the foundation for a national research institute. Biomedical research and development within this visionary, ambitious public-private partnership is fostering major improvements in EG. The EGMVI plans to use a PfSPZ Vaccine alongside standard malaria control interventions to eliminate Pf malaria from Bioko, becoming a potential model for elimination campaigns elsewhere.

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Education and Health Care in Equatorial Guinea

Cited by 2 publications

References 8 publications

Exploring the knowledge, explanatory models of illness, and patterns of healthcare-seeking behaviour of Fang culture-bound syndromes in Equatorial Guinea

Exploring the knowledge, explanatory models of illness, and patterns of healthcare-seeking behaviour of Fang culture-bound syndromes in Equatorial Guinea

The Equatoguinean Malaria Vaccine Initiative: From the Launching of a Clinical Research Platform to Malaria Elimination Planning in Central West Africa

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