Opinion: Ebola outbreak response requires engaging with religious traditions and leaders

Ebola can be called the disease of compassion: It “spreads through acts of care” like tending to a sick loved one and burying those who died of the disease. It is also a disease in which mistrust, misinformation, and fear run rampant, leading to attacks on health care facilities and frantic efforts to recover bodies of Ebola victims. Religious and traditional leaders, who oversee burial and funeral rites, are often the most trusted voices in their communities. They need to be engaged immediately as the Ebola outbreak spreads rapidly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.Read the rest…