title: Profile and reintegration experience of Ebola survivors in Guinea: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: To describe the experience of Guinean Ebola virus disease (EVD) survivors in Guinea, up to ten months after discharge from the Ebola treatment unit.
  
  
  
  Cross-sectional study using a standardised semistructured questionnaire among survivors from Conakry and Coyah districts in 2015 in Guinea. We used proportions, mean (standard deviation) and median (interquartile range) to summarise the variables. The McNemar chi-square test was used to compare proportions.
  
  
  
  The 121 EVD survivors interviewed had a median reintegration time from discharge of 18 weeks (IQR: 14-32 weeks). Most survivors were aged 15-44 years (87.6%) with secondary to higher level of education (68.6%), and 25.6% were healthcare workers. The majority reported a lower socio-economic status (90%), a less favourable work situation (79%) and psychological status (60%). About 31% reported physical health problems. Most survivors reported lower levels of reintegration with friends and at work place (72%) and lower acceptance by others in general (71%) in the period after the EVD as compared to the period before the EVD. Only 55 survivors (45.5%) were involved in one or more activities of the EVD response: participation in clinical studies on the EVD (44 survivors, 36.4%), community sensitisation (28 survivors, 23.1%) or work in Ebola treatment and/or transit centres (23 survivors, 21.7%).
  
  
  
  There is a need for a long-term follow-up of EVD survivors in Guinea and more efforts to support their social, professional and economic reintegration, especially in rural areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Gamal University of Conakry, Conakry, Guinea.|Centre National de Formation et de Recherche en Santé Rurale de Maferinyah, Forecariah, Guinea.|Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Delamou
authors.affiliation: Centre National de Formation et de Recherche en Santé Rurale de Maferinyah, Forecariah, Guinea.
authors.forename: Bienvenu Salim
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Camara
authors.affiliation: Réseau National des Associations de Survivants d'Ebola de Guinée, Conakry, Guinea.
authors.forename: Jean Pe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kolie
authors.affiliation: Réseau National des Associations de Survivants d'Ebola de Guinée, Conakry, Guinea.
authors.forename: Achille Diona
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Guemou
authors.affiliation: Centre National de Transfusion Sanguine, Conakry, Guinea.
authors.forename: Nyankoye Yves
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Haba
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marquez
authors.affiliation: Centre National de Formation et de Recherche en Santé Rurale de Maferinyah, Forecariah, Guinea.
authors.forename: Abdoul Habib
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Beavogui
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Therese
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Delvaux
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Griensven
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002567:Certificate of Need; D002648:Child; D062309:Community Integration; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016701:Guinea / Q000453:epidemiology; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Ebola virus disease; Guinea; West Africa; reintegration; survivors