The role of social vulnerability in improving interventions for neglected zoonotic diseases: The example of Kyasanur Forest Disease in India
Forest-based communities manage many risks to health and socio-economic welfare including the increasing threat of emerging zoonoses that are expected to disproportionately affect poor and marginalised groups, and further impair their precarious livelihoods, particularly in Low-and-Middle Income (LM...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2023-01-01
|
| Series: | PLOS Global Public Health |
| Online Access: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10021172/?tool=EBI |
| _version_ | 1797699993500385280 |
|---|---|
| author | Festus A. Asaaga Bethan V. Purse Mujeeb Rahman Prashanth N. Srinivas Suresh D. Kalegowda Tanya Seshadri Juliette C. Young Meera A. Oommen |
| author_facet | Festus A. Asaaga Bethan V. Purse Mujeeb Rahman Prashanth N. Srinivas Suresh D. Kalegowda Tanya Seshadri Juliette C. Young Meera A. Oommen |
| author_sort | Festus A. Asaaga |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Forest-based communities manage many risks to health and socio-economic welfare including the increasing threat of emerging zoonoses that are expected to disproportionately affect poor and marginalised groups, and further impair their precarious livelihoods, particularly in Low-and-Middle Income (LMIC) settings. Yet, there is a relative dearth of empirical research on the vulnerability and adaptation pathways of poor and marginalised groups facing emerging zoonoses. Drawing on a survey of 229 households and a series of key-informant interviews in the Western Ghats, we examine the factors affecting vulnerability of smallholder and tribal households to Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), an often-fatal tick-borne viral haemorrhagic fever endemic in south India. Specifically, we investigate how different socio-demographic and institutional factors interact to shape KFD vulnerability and the strategies employed by households to adapt to disease consequences. Although surveyed households generally perceived KFD as an important health issue in the study region, there was variability in concern about contracting the disease. Overall results showed that poor access to land (AOR = 0.373, 95% CI: 0.152–0.916), being at or below the poverty line (AOR = 0.253, 95% CI: 0.094–0.685) and being headed by an older person (AOR = 1.038, 95% CI: 1.006–1.071) were all significant determinants of perceived KFD vulnerability. Furthermore, KFD vulnerability is also modulated by important extra-household factors including proximity to private hospitals (AOR = 3.281, 95% CI: 1.220–8.820), main roads (AOR = 2.144, 95% CI: 1.215–3.783) and study location (AOR = 0.226, 95% CI: 0.690–0.743). Our findings highlight how homogenous characterisation of smallholder and tribal communities and the ‘techno-oriented’ approach of existing interventions may further marginalise the most vulnerable and exacerbate existing inequalities. These findings are important for designing context-specific and appropriate health interventions (including the prioritisation of awareness raising, knowledge networks, livelihood diversification) that enhances the resilience of at-risk social groups within the KFD context. More broadly, our findings highlight how a focus on social vulnerability can help national and international health planners improve health interventions and prioritise among diseases with respect to neglected endemic zoonoses. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:16:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2834610ba1004b2292075284db073c3f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2767-3375 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:16:47Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLOS Global Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-2834610ba1004b2292075284db073c3f2023-09-03T10:35:35ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLOS Global Public Health2767-33752023-01-0132The role of social vulnerability in improving interventions for neglected zoonotic diseases: The example of Kyasanur Forest Disease in IndiaFestus A. AsaagaBethan V. PurseMujeeb RahmanPrashanth N. SrinivasSuresh D. KalegowdaTanya SeshadriJuliette C. YoungMeera A. OommenForest-based communities manage many risks to health and socio-economic welfare including the increasing threat of emerging zoonoses that are expected to disproportionately affect poor and marginalised groups, and further impair their precarious livelihoods, particularly in Low-and-Middle Income (LMIC) settings. Yet, there is a relative dearth of empirical research on the vulnerability and adaptation pathways of poor and marginalised groups facing emerging zoonoses. Drawing on a survey of 229 households and a series of key-informant interviews in the Western Ghats, we examine the factors affecting vulnerability of smallholder and tribal households to Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), an often-fatal tick-borne viral haemorrhagic fever endemic in south India. Specifically, we investigate how different socio-demographic and institutional factors interact to shape KFD vulnerability and the strategies employed by households to adapt to disease consequences. Although surveyed households generally perceived KFD as an important health issue in the study region, there was variability in concern about contracting the disease. Overall results showed that poor access to land (AOR = 0.373, 95% CI: 0.152–0.916), being at or below the poverty line (AOR = 0.253, 95% CI: 0.094–0.685) and being headed by an older person (AOR = 1.038, 95% CI: 1.006–1.071) were all significant determinants of perceived KFD vulnerability. Furthermore, KFD vulnerability is also modulated by important extra-household factors including proximity to private hospitals (AOR = 3.281, 95% CI: 1.220–8.820), main roads (AOR = 2.144, 95% CI: 1.215–3.783) and study location (AOR = 0.226, 95% CI: 0.690–0.743). Our findings highlight how homogenous characterisation of smallholder and tribal communities and the ‘techno-oriented’ approach of existing interventions may further marginalise the most vulnerable and exacerbate existing inequalities. These findings are important for designing context-specific and appropriate health interventions (including the prioritisation of awareness raising, knowledge networks, livelihood diversification) that enhances the resilience of at-risk social groups within the KFD context. More broadly, our findings highlight how a focus on social vulnerability can help national and international health planners improve health interventions and prioritise among diseases with respect to neglected endemic zoonoses.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10021172/?tool=EBI |
| spellingShingle | Festus A. Asaaga Bethan V. Purse Mujeeb Rahman Prashanth N. Srinivas Suresh D. Kalegowda Tanya Seshadri Juliette C. Young Meera A. Oommen The role of social vulnerability in improving interventions for neglected zoonotic diseases: The example of Kyasanur Forest Disease in India PLOS Global Public Health |
| title | The role of social vulnerability in improving interventions for neglected zoonotic diseases: The example of Kyasanur Forest Disease in India |
| title_full | The role of social vulnerability in improving interventions for neglected zoonotic diseases: The example of Kyasanur Forest Disease in India |
| title_fullStr | The role of social vulnerability in improving interventions for neglected zoonotic diseases: The example of Kyasanur Forest Disease in India |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of social vulnerability in improving interventions for neglected zoonotic diseases: The example of Kyasanur Forest Disease in India |
| title_short | The role of social vulnerability in improving interventions for neglected zoonotic diseases: The example of Kyasanur Forest Disease in India |
| title_sort | role of social vulnerability in improving interventions for neglected zoonotic diseases the example of kyasanur forest disease in india |
| url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10021172/?tool=EBI |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT festusaasaaga theroleofsocialvulnerabilityinimprovinginterventionsforneglectedzoonoticdiseasestheexampleofkyasanurforestdiseaseinindia AT bethanvpurse theroleofsocialvulnerabilityinimprovinginterventionsforneglectedzoonoticdiseasestheexampleofkyasanurforestdiseaseinindia AT mujeebrahman theroleofsocialvulnerabilityinimprovinginterventionsforneglectedzoonoticdiseasestheexampleofkyasanurforestdiseaseinindia AT prashanthnsrinivas theroleofsocialvulnerabilityinimprovinginterventionsforneglectedzoonoticdiseasestheexampleofkyasanurforestdiseaseinindia AT sureshdkalegowda theroleofsocialvulnerabilityinimprovinginterventionsforneglectedzoonoticdiseasestheexampleofkyasanurforestdiseaseinindia AT tanyaseshadri theroleofsocialvulnerabilityinimprovinginterventionsforneglectedzoonoticdiseasestheexampleofkyasanurforestdiseaseinindia AT juliettecyoung theroleofsocialvulnerabilityinimprovinginterventionsforneglectedzoonoticdiseasestheexampleofkyasanurforestdiseaseinindia AT meeraaoommen theroleofsocialvulnerabilityinimprovinginterventionsforneglectedzoonoticdiseasestheexampleofkyasanurforestdiseaseinindia AT festusaasaaga roleofsocialvulnerabilityinimprovinginterventionsforneglectedzoonoticdiseasestheexampleofkyasanurforestdiseaseinindia AT bethanvpurse roleofsocialvulnerabilityinimprovinginterventionsforneglectedzoonoticdiseasestheexampleofkyasanurforestdiseaseinindia AT mujeebrahman roleofsocialvulnerabilityinimprovinginterventionsforneglectedzoonoticdiseasestheexampleofkyasanurforestdiseaseinindia AT prashanthnsrinivas roleofsocialvulnerabilityinimprovinginterventionsforneglectedzoonoticdiseasestheexampleofkyasanurforestdiseaseinindia AT sureshdkalegowda roleofsocialvulnerabilityinimprovinginterventionsforneglectedzoonoticdiseasestheexampleofkyasanurforestdiseaseinindia AT tanyaseshadri roleofsocialvulnerabilityinimprovinginterventionsforneglectedzoonoticdiseasestheexampleofkyasanurforestdiseaseinindia AT juliettecyoung roleofsocialvulnerabilityinimprovinginterventionsforneglectedzoonoticdiseasestheexampleofkyasanurforestdiseaseinindia AT meeraaoommen roleofsocialvulnerabilityinimprovinginterventionsforneglectedzoonoticdiseasestheexampleofkyasanurforestdiseaseinindia |