BACKGROUND: Snakebite envenoming is a neglected tropical disease with significant mortality and morbidity. Fear of snakes often results in human-to-snake violence which not only harms snakes but increases bite risks to humans. Limited research exists on both the origin of these negative attitudes, and strategies to promote human-snake coexistence. OBJECTIVES: Using secondary qualitative analyses, we explored the role of snakes within community stories, in Southwest Uganda. We investigated the influence of stories on community attitudes towards snakes, and how these attitudes have changed since engaging in participatory snakebite prevention workshops which included narrative discussions. METHODS: = 21) of workshop attendees and non-attendees. These interviews included questions about the content of local snakebite stories. In this study, a secondary analysis using inductive reflexive thematic methods was performed to specifically consider the relationship between local stories and community attitudes toward snakes. RESULTS: Attitudes toward snakes were largely fearful. Hearsay and stories appear to influence this fear and general knowledge of snakes in this community. Stories usually depicted snakes as villainous, supernatural, or malevolent. However, participatory snake-bite prevention workshops which include narrative discussion and two-way knowledge exchange with participants appeared to support attendees to change their attitudes and behaviours toward snakes. CONCLUSIONS: Stories appear to influence community attitudes toward snakes in Rubirizi. Future research should focus on understanding local narratives around snakes, and harness the power of storytelling to softly challenge these narratives in order promote human-snake coexistence and snakebite prevention.
Domingues et al. (Tue,) studied this question.