Communication matters: Investigating the tension between healthcare workers and community members during disease outbreaks in Malawi

Violence and attacks against healthcare workers have emerged as a major area of concern during pandemics. During pandemics, mistrust, misinformation, misconceptions, and the extensive and prolonged disruptions of social, religious, and cultural norms throughout the period have often fueled the attacks. Healthcare workers are the backbone of healthcare systems, and as such, they are the front-line officers during pandemics. As these front-line staff members are tasked with saving lives, managing patients and dead bodies during infectious disease outbreaks remains a challenge. They more often confront constant ethical challenges
and threats that endanger their lives. These challenges arise when they try to manage the contagion to ensure the safety of the living. Pandemics exacerbate the practical difficulties connected with proper and respectful handling of patients and dead bodies, and how these are handled can have important health implications and raise sociocultural and ethical dilemmas