COVID-19 and the view from Africa

Davies, Tim, Matengu, Kenneth and Hall, Judith E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6770-7372 2023. COVID-19 and the view from Africa. Religions 14 (5) , 589. 10.3390/rel14050589

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Abstract

In Africa, refusal of COVID-19 and other vaccines is widespread for different reasons, including disbelief in the existence of the virus itself and faith in traditional remedies. In sub-Saharan countries, refusal is often made worse by opposition to vaccines by the religious establishments. This is a pressing problem, as Africa has the highest vaccine-avoidable mortality rate for children under the age of five in the world. Dialogue between those wishing to promote vaccines and those who resist them is essential if the situation is to be improved. This article argues that Western and other aid agencies seeking to promote vaccination programs need to develop a dialogue with resisters, and in this process to embrace and commend the ancient African philosophical tradition of Ubuntu, incorporating it into these programs as a way to overcome such entrenched resistance. The paper concludes with concrete recommendations for how to accomplish this goal.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Medicine
Additional Information:	License information from Publisher: LICENSE 1: URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, Type: open-access
Publisher:	MDPI
ISSN:	2077-1444
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	9 May 2023
Date of Acceptance:	21 March 2023
Last Modified:	10 May 2023 06:50
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/159326

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