Abstract

Brucellosis is an infectious zoonotic disease considered as a threat to public health and pastoralist livelihoods. Symptoms of the disease can lead to gender-specific ailments such as abortions in women and orchitis in men. Pastoralists and their families are at high risk of contracting the disease. Access to health information reinforces existing knowledge and contributes to disease prevention. However, in developing countries, interventions for knowledge sharing on zoonotic diseases predominantly target men. This study aimed to describe mechanisms of knowledge production and transfer on brucellosis according to gender, by assessing the way knowledge affects behaviours of pastoral communities. A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among a pastoral community (PC) of the Folon region in north-west Côte d’Ivoire. The study included transhumant pastoralists, sedentary livestock owners, shepherds and their wives. By using mixed methods, 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted, and 320 questionnaires were completed. Statistical analysis with chi-square (χ2) comparison tests was performed to compare variables between men and women. Findings were interpreted through the concept of specialisation of the social exclusion theory. We found that gender influences access to information on brucellosis and transfer of knowledge on brucellosis appeared gender-biased, especially from veterinarians towards men in the community. The social labour division and interventions of veterinarians through awareness reinforce the knowledge gap on brucellosis between men and women. Men and women consume raw milk, whilst only men in general handle animal discharges with bare hands. To improve the control of brucellosis, knowledge on best practice should be shared with pastoral communities using the One Health approach that encourages mutual learning. Innovative strategies based on gender daily tasks such as safe dairy processing by women and safe animal husbandry to expand their herd for men can be the entry point for the prevention of brucellosis.

Details

Title
Gendered asymmetry of access to knowledge for brucellosis control among pastoral communities in north-west Côte d’Ivoire
Author
Babo, Stephane A. Y. 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Fokou, Gilbert 2 ; Yapi, Richard B. 3 ; Mathew, Coletha 4 ; Dayoro, Arnaud K. 5 ; Kazwala, Rudovick R. 4 ; Bonfoh, Bassirou 6 

 Université Félix Houphouët Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (GRID:grid.410694.e) (ISNI:0000 0001 2176 6353); Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (GRID:grid.462846.a) (ISNI:0000 0001 0697 1172) 
 Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (GRID:grid.462846.a) (ISNI:0000 0001 0697 1172); Human Sciences Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa (GRID:grid.417715.1) (ISNI:0000 0001 0071 1142) 
 Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (GRID:grid.462846.a) (ISNI:0000 0001 0697 1172); Université Alassane Ouattara, Centre d’Entomologie Médicale et Vétérinaire, Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire (GRID:grid.449926.4) (ISNI:0000 0001 0118 0881) 
 Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania (GRID:grid.11887.37) (ISNI:0000 0000 9428 8105) 
 Université Félix Houphouët Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (GRID:grid.410694.e) (ISNI:0000 0001 2176 6353) 
 Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (GRID:grid.462846.a) (ISNI:0000 0001 0697 1172) 
Publication year
2022
Publication date
Dec 2022
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
ISSN
20417128
e-ISSN
20417136
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2679957526
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2022. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.