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Gender Roles and One Health Risk Factors at the Human–Livestock–Wildlife Interface, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

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Abstract

Gender sensitivity in health promotion has been widely recommended, yet attention to gender roles and gender-disaggregated studies is often lacking in disease research and public health intervention planning. In the rural Mnisi community of Mpumalanga, South Africa, where zoonotic pathogens are known to contribute to acute febrile illness, community and household tasks may increase an individual’s risk of exposure, and these tasks are likely to be influenced by gender. This study described the roles and responsibilities of community residents, specifically those that have been identified as critical control points for infectious pathogen exposure, by gender. Male gender-typed tasks included those associated with livestock and poultry husbandry, hunting and slaughtering wildlife, and rodent control. Female gender-typed tasks included animal-sourced food preparation, domestic cleaning and maintenance, and caregiving to children and ill family members. Given the gender-specific nature of these tasks, potential pathogen exposure and transmission patterns of infectious diseases may be also gender specific. These data can inform the development and revision of health promotion strategies, such as the community-based One Health Training and Leadership program, prioritizing outcomes for male and female participants alike. Gender-disaggregated analysis is recommended for effective risk mitigation and community-wide health promotion using a One Health approach.

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Acknowledgements

First and foremost, the authors would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the members of the Mnisi community who gave their time and thoughtful input to this study. A special thanks to the Environmental Monitors, in particular Mr. Stanley Mathebula and Ms. Addlove Sibuyi, of the Mnisi Community Programme and their line manager, Ms. Jeanette Wentzel. We would also like to acknowledge the dedication and support of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve, in collaboration with South African National Parks, in coordinating the Environmental Monitor program in and around the Mnisi area. This work was conducted within the framework of the University of Pretoria Faculty of Veterinary Science One Health Research and Training Platform based at the Hans Hoheisen Wildlife Research Station, Orpen Gate, Kruger National Park. We are grateful to Dr. Ilana van Wyk, Research Coordinator, for her support and dedication to ensuring relevant and community-engaged research in this region. Finally, the authors would also like to extend their sincere appreciation to Mr. Connor Stephens, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, for lending his technical expertise to map production.

Funding

This work was made possible thanks to the generous funding provided by the University of California School of Veterinary Medicine Office for Global Programs Underserved Community Research and Experience Fellowship and International Summer Externship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA

    Allison H. Coyle & Martin H. Smith

  2. Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, 1920 Coffey Road, A190 Sisson Hall, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Amanda M. Berrian

  3. Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Hans Hoheisen Wildlife Research Station, Orpen Gate, Kruger National Park, South Africa

    Jacques van Rooyen

  4. Conservation South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa

    Jacques van Rooyen

  5. Department of Anthropology, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Brigitte Bagnol

  6. Department of Human Ecology, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA

    Martin H. Smith

Authors
  1. Allison H. Coyle
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  2. Amanda M. Berrian
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  3. Jacques van Rooyen
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  4. Brigitte Bagnol
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  5. Martin H. Smith
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amanda M. Berrian.

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The authors declare no personal or financial conflict of interest.

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Coyle, A.H., Berrian, A.M., van Rooyen, J. et al. Gender Roles and One Health Risk Factors at the Human–Livestock–Wildlife Interface, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. EcoHealth 17, 233–247 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-020-01478-9

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