Gender and vulnerability to cholera in Sierra Leone

Cholera strikes indiscriminately of sex, age, and social status. However, these are factors that may contribute to individuals’ vulnerability to cholera, by dictating social roles and behaviours. In a society that adheres to strict gender roles, cholera transmission routes are more likely to be sex and age-specific. Despite this, the linkages between gender and vulnerability to cholera are not well understood and there is little literature on the topic. This research analyses the roles socially ascribed to boys, girls, men and women in specific environmental, economic and socio-cultural contexts to highlight groups that may be more vulnerable to cholera in Sierra Leone.