Public trust in the time of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): the case of the DR Congo

Abstract

Over the past half century, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a low-income and post-conflict country, has experienced several Ebola Virus Disease outbreaks, with different fatality rates. The DRC is currently experiencing the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Using the PEN-3 cultural model, we assessed the socio-cultural factors affecting public trust in the government and its health agencies. Results of this analysis revealed the perceptions, enablers, and nurturers that impacted public trust in the government and its health agencies among the Congolese population. Future interventions designed to address the COVID-19 in the DRC should account for these socio-cultural factors.