In low-and middle-income countries, determining the cause of death of any given individual is impaired by poor access to healthcare systems, resource-poor diagnostic facilities, and limited acceptance of complete diagnostic autopsies. Minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS), an innovative post-mortem procedure based on obtaining tissue specimens using fine needle biopsies suitable for laboratory analysis, is an acceptable proxy of the complete diagnostic autopsy, and thus could reduce the uncertainty of cause of death. This study describes rumor surveillance activities developed and implemented in Bangladesh, Mali, and Mozambique to identify, track and understand rumors about the MITS procedure.

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Rumor surveillance in support of minimally invasive tissue sampling for diagnosing the cause of child death in low-income countries: A qualitative study

Authors: Md Saiful Islam, Abdullah Al-Masud, Maria Maixenchs, Saquina Cossa, Rui Guilaze, Kounandji Diarra, Issa Fofana, Faruqe Hussain, John Blevins, Ahoua Kone, Shams El Arifeen, Inácio Mandomando, Quique Bassat, Elizabeth O’Mara Sage, Emily S. Gurley, Khátia Munguambe