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‘People on the African continent don’t trust science’

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An estimated 5% of people on the African continent don’t trust science or medicine. That’s according to a participant in the discussion on vaccines at the World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town.

The Director of Welcome Trust, Jeremy Farrar, says they have difficulties dealing with the Ebola virus ravaging the Democratic Republic of Congo despite a vaccine being available because people don’t trust it.

He says it’s difficult for science to find answers under these circumstances.

“The horrific epidemic of Ebola at the moment in DRC is a very good example of that. I have been in DRC twice in the past few months.”

“We have a vaccine, we have a treatment but communities are not willing to accept those interventions, increasing sceptics about benefits of vaccines or climate change.”

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