Abstract
In L’énigme d’Ebola en Guinée, A.W. Somparé recounts his journey as a consultant for the World Health Organization (WHO) during the fight against Ebola, which affected West Africa for the first time from 2013 to 2016. Through a sociological lens, the author discusses some attitudes of populations regarding the disease and the agents of the fight against Ebola, which were according to him qualified too hastily as “reticence” by WHO and the authorities. He firstly notices that behind an apparent refusal to adhere to health measures, local propositions to protect oneself from the disease also emerged. He then questions the impact of these measures on living conditions, and its consequences in terms of adherence to the system. This review discusses how A.W. Somparé’s book and ethnographic approach demonstrate what human and social sciences are capable of doing in the face of practical issues in health emergencies.