PERCEPTION OF HEALTH RISKS OF PEOPLE LIVING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO
INFECTIOUS DISEASE CENTRES AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO RELOCATE

People in residential and commercial structures have encroached too closely to infectious disease treatment centres over time. This may pose great risks. This study investigated the knowledge and perception of health risks of people who live and work in close proximity to infectious disease treatment centres, using Ebola isolation centre as a case study. Survey instruments were administered to 285 participants through purposive and convenient sampling. Male, 133 (46.7%) and female, 152 (53.3%) participants from 18 years to 70 years responded to the survey. Perception of health risks increased with knowledge and did not significantly differ due to educational attainment of participants. Respondents living closest to the Ebola isolation centre expressed higher willingness to relocate than those living in locations farther from the
Ebola centre (X2 (2, N = 285) = 7.50, p < .01). Caution is required when constructing isolation centres near residential and workplaces with uninfected people.