Diagnosis, treatment, and management of Mpox in urban Informal Settlements in Southwestern Nigeria: an ethnographic approach
Abstract Background Global re-emergence of the zoonotic viral disease, Mpox (Monkeypox) has drawn global attention, leading to its declaration as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by World Health Organisation (WHO) in July 2022. Nigeria is a spotlight identified for the vira...
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2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-21267-1 |
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| author | Olufunke Adegoke Megan Schmidt-Sane Michael Kunnuji Syed Abbas Akanni Lawanson Ayodele Jegede Hayley MacGregor |
| author_facet | Olufunke Adegoke Megan Schmidt-Sane Michael Kunnuji Syed Abbas Akanni Lawanson Ayodele Jegede Hayley MacGregor |
| author_sort | Olufunke Adegoke |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Global re-emergence of the zoonotic viral disease, Mpox (Monkeypox) has drawn global attention, leading to its declaration as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by World Health Organisation (WHO) in July 2022. Nigeria is a spotlight identified for the viral disease outbreak, with attention drawn on its transmission to non-endemic nations. With the country’s healthcare challenges, care seeking practices particularly amongst low-income urban informal settlement populations are diverse – presenting challenges to both case identification and management during an outbreak. In this study, we examine the social, economic, and behavioural context of Mpox therapeutics. Methods This was an ethnographic study conducted between September 2022 and March 2023, with the purposive selection of urban informal settlements and interlocutors in Oyo, Ogun and Lagos States. We interviewed a total of 28 interlocutors who were either confirmed or suspected cases of Mpox or parents of children who are confirmed or suspected Mpox cases identified by the public health workers. Data were elicited through In-depth interviews and observations technique on the interlocutor’s local knowledge and their lived experiences on the therapeutics of Mpox. Analysis of the transcript was done inductively using thematic analysis process. Findings The study revealed awareness and vague knowledge of Mpox. Furthermore, the behavioural practices on how ailments are understood and managed revealed a commonality in their social actions in terms of local diagnosis and management. Mpox was perceived to be a mild disease, and this had implications on the local characteristics of the PHEIC in the endemic regions. Conclusion Our paper contributes to a more nuanced understanding of not only the health care access barriers, but the complex geographical, economic, and sociocultural factors that shape how and when people seek care for Mpox within the context of urban informal settlements. This further draws attention to behavioral dispositions to the nomenclature of what is perceived as PHEIC. Thus, the global health and security paradigm should give room to local context, expertise, and global politics in shaping epidemic responses. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4cce0efa4d6f430fa7007db58726b50b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-4cce0efa4d6f430fa7007db58726b50b2025-01-12T12:43:23ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-01-0125111210.1186/s12889-024-21267-1Diagnosis, treatment, and management of Mpox in urban Informal Settlements in Southwestern Nigeria: an ethnographic approachOlufunke Adegoke0Megan Schmidt-Sane1Michael Kunnuji2Syed Abbas3Akanni Lawanson4Ayodele Jegede5Hayley MacGregor6Department of Sociology, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of IbadanHealth & Nutrition Cluster, Institute of Development Studies, University of SussexDepartment of Sociology, University of LagosHealth & Nutrition Cluster, Institute of Development Studies, University of SussexDepartment of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, University of IbadanDepartment of Sociology, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of IbadanHealth & Nutrition Cluster, Institute of Development Studies, University of SussexAbstract Background Global re-emergence of the zoonotic viral disease, Mpox (Monkeypox) has drawn global attention, leading to its declaration as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by World Health Organisation (WHO) in July 2022. Nigeria is a spotlight identified for the viral disease outbreak, with attention drawn on its transmission to non-endemic nations. With the country’s healthcare challenges, care seeking practices particularly amongst low-income urban informal settlement populations are diverse – presenting challenges to both case identification and management during an outbreak. In this study, we examine the social, economic, and behavioural context of Mpox therapeutics. Methods This was an ethnographic study conducted between September 2022 and March 2023, with the purposive selection of urban informal settlements and interlocutors in Oyo, Ogun and Lagos States. We interviewed a total of 28 interlocutors who were either confirmed or suspected cases of Mpox or parents of children who are confirmed or suspected Mpox cases identified by the public health workers. Data were elicited through In-depth interviews and observations technique on the interlocutor’s local knowledge and their lived experiences on the therapeutics of Mpox. Analysis of the transcript was done inductively using thematic analysis process. Findings The study revealed awareness and vague knowledge of Mpox. Furthermore, the behavioural practices on how ailments are understood and managed revealed a commonality in their social actions in terms of local diagnosis and management. Mpox was perceived to be a mild disease, and this had implications on the local characteristics of the PHEIC in the endemic regions. Conclusion Our paper contributes to a more nuanced understanding of not only the health care access barriers, but the complex geographical, economic, and sociocultural factors that shape how and when people seek care for Mpox within the context of urban informal settlements. This further draws attention to behavioral dispositions to the nomenclature of what is perceived as PHEIC. Thus, the global health and security paradigm should give room to local context, expertise, and global politics in shaping epidemic responses.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-21267-1MpoxEpidemic responseTherapeuticsUrban informal settlementsNigeria |
| spellingShingle | Olufunke Adegoke Megan Schmidt-Sane Michael Kunnuji Syed Abbas Akanni Lawanson Ayodele Jegede Hayley MacGregor Diagnosis, treatment, and management of Mpox in urban Informal Settlements in Southwestern Nigeria: an ethnographic approach BMC Public Health Mpox Epidemic response Therapeutics Urban informal settlements Nigeria |
| title | Diagnosis, treatment, and management of Mpox in urban Informal Settlements in Southwestern Nigeria: an ethnographic approach |
| title_full | Diagnosis, treatment, and management of Mpox in urban Informal Settlements in Southwestern Nigeria: an ethnographic approach |
| title_fullStr | Diagnosis, treatment, and management of Mpox in urban Informal Settlements in Southwestern Nigeria: an ethnographic approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diagnosis, treatment, and management of Mpox in urban Informal Settlements in Southwestern Nigeria: an ethnographic approach |
| title_short | Diagnosis, treatment, and management of Mpox in urban Informal Settlements in Southwestern Nigeria: an ethnographic approach |
| title_sort | diagnosis treatment and management of mpox in urban informal settlements in southwestern nigeria an ethnographic approach |
| topic | Mpox Epidemic response Therapeutics Urban informal settlements Nigeria |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-21267-1 |
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