Research: African Health Governance Systems
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Research that investigated facilitating factors, hindrances, and experiences on the deployment of rapid, effective and equitable interventions to prevent and respond to COVID-19; lessons from previous emerging infectious disease outbreaks on the continent and what can be applied to COVID-19; and financing mechanisms for pandemic prevention and response.
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Item Nurturing Rural Resilience: Coping Strategies and Collaborative Initiatives in South Africa’s COVID-19 Response(2023) Okem, Andrew Emmanuel; Mubangizi, Betty Claire; Adekanla, N.,; John, S. F.The susceptibility of rural areas to the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic is readily apparent, particularly given the pre-existing conditions of poverty and resource limitations within these communities. Consequently, rural populations confront considerable adversity amid the pandemic. The capacity of these communities to withstand such challenges hinges upon their adeptness in managing the resultant impacts. This policy brief emanates from a research inquiry conducted within two distinct local municipalities in South Africa, namely Matatiele and Winnie Madikizela Mandela (WMM). It delineates the coping mechanisms employed by these municipalities to contend with the exigencies imposed by the COVID-19 crisis. Notably, strategies encompassing the mitigation of food insecurity, the diversification of income streams, the enhancement of emotional well-being, and the curtailment of expenditures assume primacy among individuals endeavouring to secure alternative means of sustenance. This observation underscores the fundamental role of coping strategies, often centred around the satisfaction of elemental requisites such as income generation and food provision. To fortify these communities against potential disruptions, cultivating resilient local institutions and implementing efficacious collaborative endeavours emerge as indispensable. Such measures empower communities to identify and adopt alternative livelihoods, concurrently facilitating the establishment of a supportive infrastructural framework.Item Rural vulnerability and institutional dynamics in the context of COVID-19: A scoping review(AOSIS, 2022) John, Sokfa F.; Okem, Andrew Emmanuel; Mubangizi, Betty Claire; Adekanla, Niyi; Ngubane, Londeka P.; Barry, IbrahimThis study reviewed the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on pre-existing vulnerabilities in rural communities using the scoping review strategy. It focused on manuscripts published on the topic in 2020. Based on 39 studies that met our inclusion criteria (out of 507 studies), we note that COVID-19 is exacerbating pre-existing rural vulnerabilities, including poverty, remoteness, socio-economic marginalisation and high unemployment. There is limited evidence that rural communities are resilient to the pandemic. Reduction in household expenditures and the community food system are the only reported forms of resilience. Although local institutions are supporting rural communities in responding to the impacts of the pandemic, several institutional dynamics undermine the effectiveness of the response. The increased risk of the pandemic is likely to reduce incomes and standards of living amongst poor communities. Thus, coping strategies were identified such as starting small gardens in communities, diet changes, targeting community markets with produce rather than retailers and food swap using social media, with food swap being the most adopted coping strategy. Although this study does not offer a comprehensive picture of the levels and nature of vulnerability, resilience and institutional dynamics of rural communities in different parts of the world reveal the limitations of existing knowledge of the vulnerability of rural communities in the context of COVID-19. This underscores the importance of further studies on rural vulnerability in the context of COVID-19 that will enable evidence-based responses to the pandemic in rural contexts.Item Transboundary COVID-19 response on health communication in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe(AOSIS, 2024-05-09) Nyandoro, Mark; Mduluza, Takafira; Nyandoro, LucyA global COVID-19 pandemic caused untold community disruptions, a huge toll on lives and placed major burdens on the economies of developing countries. It spread worldwide within a short period of time before nations could mobilise evidence for the best responses. Communities in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe were heavily disrupted. This article focuses on exploring the transboundary differences in COVID-19 responses, plus the implications for improving the health communication strategies in a pandemic age. Health practitioners and governments were ill-prepared to inform the general public about the pandemic and enforced complete shutdowns of economic and social activities. With the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging communities, there was a dearth of focused health communication on COVID-19’s end. New tools of communication and dissemination of information were embraced in the southern Africa country-specific cases. For example, content on precautionary lifestyles, individual or personal responsibility and utilisation of community health workers in the pandemic era was prioritised to prevent or minimise infections and avoid recurrence of the disease. New communication methods were important for addressing uncertainty and can be applied for any future pandemic. This health communication topic addresses the neglected, but important gap on the efficacy of processes towards better health communication strategies. The transdisciplinary methods include improved health communication strategies informed by the experiences of three Southern African Development Community countries. While such measures to arrest COVID-19 proved plausible, these countries’ projections for the future are a concern, suggesting an urgent need to enhance and strengthen health communication in southern Africa. Transdisciplinary contribution: This is a transdisciplinary exploration of health communication and its implications for COVID-19 and future pandemic responses in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe.