Combating Zika virus through health counseling interventions

Previous research efforts on Zika virus (ZikV) appear to have only focused on biomedical interventions for the patients without realizing that their culture of silence to the psychological aspect is highly reprehensible. The role and importance of health counseling cannot be overemphasized given how it helped in the fight against the Ebola virus disease. It is possible that mental health counselors and clinical psychologists around the world, Nigeria, and Pakistan can provide health counseling intervention that is culturally acceptable, effective and instrumental in tackling ZikV, its spread, and the horrific psychological impacts of the disease. Research is needed to understand the relevance and effectiveness of health counseling interventions in the Zika context.